


Spider's Parlor

by DeathOnWings1203



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Burglary, Discrimination against Monsters, Human and Monster co-existence, Romance, Spider Family, post-true pacifist ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-05-15 09:06:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 112,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5779837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathOnWings1203/pseuds/DeathOnWings1203
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the ending of the True Pacifist Run both monsters and humans have started to live in the same community. Muffet is one of the monsters that has had success, but she didn't do it alone. She has Frisk to largely thank for her successful business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Buisness's Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people of the Undertale Fandom! I have recently joined your ranks and had gotten the game myself after watching Jacksepticeye's runs through both the Genocide route as well as the True Pacifist Route. However, this shall not be in the Canon realm. In fact, it will be post Pacifist route with a pairing that is considered a bit of a crack one.
> 
> I shall be doing a MuffetXFrisk Fic! Why? Because I have read the minority of fics that has this pairing and some of them are well written. I also do like the idea of the confident, family loyal, and business savvy Muffet becoming enamored with Frisk!
> 
> I shall be doing my best to keep Frisk in his ambiguous Gender role, but if they do end up with a gender that is because it got a little bit too time consuming to figure out just the right ways to put the gender neutral wordings in correctly. Also, please do not judge me too harshly since this is my first Undertale Fic.
> 
> With all that said, shall we begin?
> 
> Note: A guest noticed a mistake I made, so thank you Guest for your aid!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale, Frisk, Muffet, the spiders, or anything else! I do own the plot since this would probably never happen in Canon. I mean the two of them only had one conversation and that was with Muffet sending accusations Frisk's way the entire time! Still, one can dream.

The life of a newly freed Monster can be quite a trial if they lack the skills to transition into aboveground life. With the barrier that separated the below world with the above now shattered, that transition process is one of the main struggles monsters are having. Whether it is from a lack of useful skills, prejudice of how they look, or false rumors being spread the people of Underground face many problems every day. Yet, everyone refuses to be put down by these issues. No, they choose to stay determined in the face of adversity; however, it is impossible to deny that some have it a bit easier than others. Humanity has always had a penchant to show favoritism towards the more small and meek- or at least when they think the being is small and meek.

The ghostly Napstablook, with his stereotypical ghost-sheet look, has had some success in the DJ business. His shy nature combined with self-destroying words has made many pity him to the point that even the most adverse human can't help but try to cheer him up. Also, he actually is pretty good in the DJ booth despite not having any arms, hands, or useful appendages. Sometimes he even helps out the Underground Celebrity Mettaton. The popular robot entertainer has returned to his more blocky form when he discovered it appealed to both his Monster and Human adolescent fans. In fact, his fan base is exploding upward at quite the alarming rate. Rumors have been spreading that a movie may be in the making about his transformation from lowly citizen to the success he is now. Should that be true then we would have his manager to thank: the Great Papyrus!

The lanky skeleton wasn't in show business at first due to the fact he desired to make his mark in the culinary arts; however, that didn't turn out so well due to the numerous complaints about his cooking. Also those fires that somehow happened after trying to boil water. People were wondering why the noodles in his spaghetti turned a mixture of green and orange. So, with his cooking career not really taking off he and his brother, Sans, decided to try their hand at helping a rapidly rising star. The ever enthusiastic Papyrus would be the face of the agency, which is something he loves, while Sans handled the more detailed work. Somehow this produced a winning combination of publicity and efficiency. However, there is one odd thing that hasn't changed: Papyrus has yet to change from his 'battle body'. Even in interviews he is never without the red scarf around his neck, equally red boots and gloves over his feet/hands, and gold trimmed outfit. Not that Sans is any better since he still has on a blue hoodie at all times.

Early on, there was a unanimous decision to keep the youngest of the skeleton brothers away from all cooking utensils. They claimed it was so he could stay focused on his job. This left a catering job open, and there was simply only place that could work for them. Little Miss Muffet's Bakery was the first and only business that was called on. Ever since she had left the Underground in style, thanks to one heated limo, with her arachnid family Muffet had immediately set up plans for her own bakery. The young lady had the skills to bake some incredible treats, so why not cash in on it? Her bakery would also have to double as her home to save on some costs, but that was fine to her. The extra cash saved allowed her to customize her abode more personally.

The outside of the building had a dark blue base with black sections that closely resembles a webbing design. The 'webbing' stems from the large sign reading out ' _Little Miss Muffet's Bakery',_ and the inside of the building makes it seem like it is constantly Halloween. Since she opted to have some black lights installed to keep the place looking more like home what should have looked white instead glow a light purple while the red velvet of the seats remains the same. Her family had taken the time to adorn the ceilings with webs of various sizes to give the place more of a dark mood, yet the largest web is near the register. With thicker webbing made by her own two hands Muffet had crafted a web large enough that she could comfortably sit on while taking orders. Still, she rarely used it since she is often needed in the back where her kitchen is.

In the kitchen, the young arachnid Monster proved her ability to multitask with all six of her hands doing separate tasks. Getting the ingredients out, mixing them properly, rolling out the dough, shaping said dough, and preparing the oven could be easily accomplished in the span of five to ten minutes depending on what she was making. This made her place the talk of the town with her excellent quality and speedy delivery. Still, her business wasn't always successful. At first no one would even get close to her place with the tension between Humans and Monsters thick in the air. It didn't matter that she basically looked like an adorable little girl with an red jacket along with some puffy shorts that are a lighter shade of red. It doesn't even matter that she has a large red ribbon tied on the front of her jacket.

Her skin was still a light shade of lavender, she still has six arms, and she still has five compound eyes that were purely black with no pupils. This made her a target for all humans that were against the monsters staying around. The number of times that they had defaced her darling store were too numerous to count. It seemed like graffiti was going to be their weapon of choice for a time. At least the paint never stayed long thanks to her spider friends. They always would swarm out from the building with cleaning supplies and take care of the defacing. Though they usually tried to do it before Muffet could awake. They didn't want her to go on a rampage to find the people who dared to try and damage her place of business. Still, she was bound to find out sooner or later, but when she did the young Monster took it far better than anyone thought she would. Although, for some reason the people who kept on spray painting her building was found hung upside down on a street lamp with large amounts of webs holding them up. They were also muffled by extra webbing covering their mouths.

Ever since then her place of business was largely avoided by crooks in fear of what the little girl could do to them. The only over incident of note was when a couple of wannabe thieves smashed through her front door waving a revolver and a shotgun. Before the police could even arrive shots were fired; however, when the police did burst into the building with their guns raised they found the burglars covered head-to-toe in spiders while a cupcake-spider hybrid about the size of a great dane stood in front of them. What may have been the most strange thing was the fact Muffet was sitting casually on the hybrid while sipping some tea. When she noticed the police she even offered some tea to them. It became abundantly clear that the little girl was not to be underestimated.

The rumors of the little girl may have scared all but a few customers though. Other than some teen with a black jacket frequenting her bakery, her other regular customer remained Frisk. The young human that saved all of the Underground, and the same human that helped make her initial bake sale a success. She had seen the human read her sign before looking at her prices. They left for a good few hours before returning with nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine dollars. They had been the only person to buy a single Spider Doughnut from the Hotlands stand, and their money was what ultimately got the limo for her family and friends. The act made it a lot more difficult to go through with attacking him in the next room; however, with the sheer amount of money that could go towards a living space for all of the spiders in the ruins it was impossible to resist. Ultimately, Muffet failed to defeat young frisk before she let him go because of his kind hearted treatment to the Arachnids.

Given the limited time the two have had together it was odd to see Frisk being one of her original customers. The human had even stuck to having Spider Doughnuts instead of some of the more 'humanity friendly' pastories in her shop. The only other one to eat her unique treat, that was human, was that strange teen that was always garbed in a black jacket. Weird guy. Despite her best efforts, her bakery wasn't making enough to keep the lights on for very long. Her savings were being blown through for just the basic needs, and she was under the threat of being kicked out with her family. That was when her saving grace came walking through. Undyne, who now works as Mettaton's personal bodyguard, came by for something to eat. After ordering a couple of different flavors and giving Muffet just enough money to make the day successful she took the pastries with her to her job. Several people, unwisely, snagged some of the baked treats before making it clear that they loved the food to each other as well as everyone on the internet.

Soon word had spread to Mettaton himself who quickly learned of Muffet's financial troubles, so with a little bit of celebrity muscling he hired her to cater some of his shows. She would be paid for the gig and it was free publicity to the people of the world. The word had soon spread of her quaint little shop, and people couldn't have enough of her. If her food was good enough for someone like the Robotic Phenomenon then it must be amazing right? It didn't take long for her bakery to be bursting at the seams with customers. It turns out that once they got past the strange looks, the human race could be more than kind with someone with this level of skill. It didn't hurt that she was also one of the most adorable things they have ever seen. Now with her business a great financial success it could be easy to forget about the people who helped her in the very beginning, but Muffet is not the kind of person to forget someone who helped her in her time of need. It was like a debt to her, and she does not like being in debt.

However, when she tried to pay Frisk back for their help in making her a success she was reminded of their selfless nature. They insisted that she kept the money for a rainy day fund, even though she already had three that was overflowing. So, she was forced to find different ways to repay them back slowly. The Arachnid girl made sure that Frisk always had the freshest of her treats. They were put at the top of priorities for any delivery orders- even surpassing Mettaton himself. No matter what the situation was, they were allowed to get their baked goods before anyone else. A good few months of that should have put the 'debt' down to zero, but there were things that Frisk did that kept it going. It was mostly small things like helping out with cleaning, maneuvering people to their seats, being peacekeeper between human and monsters. It was almost like he was working at the place without getting a paycheck. That would not happen.

Even if she had to stick the money to the human she would get him to take what she owed. At least, that was the plan. While she was biding her time to give said money to the child the two of them had some small conversations. Unsurprisingly, Frisk is a great person to talk to. They rarely ever spoke out of turn. They remained constantly polite, and the human had some wisdom beyond their years. Then her arachnid contacts relayed some extra information about them. She did send them out in pure curiosity, but what she learned surprised her. Even though she had experienced his generous nature first hand the Monster girl was genuinely confused to learn that Frisk hasn't had a single violent confrontation with anyone. It was like they were perfectly docile in every situation. One of her spiders even reported that the human had been the victim of a violent mugging. She nearly sprang to her feet with her fangs ready to send her own brand of venom into the bastard that tried it.

Her informant had quickly stopped her by informing her that Frisk had actually talked the mugger down. Their kind nature made the criminal break down into tears before giving back the human's items. Her spider had followed the criminal around for the next few days while watching him completely turn his life around. The man had reconnected with his family after years of trial and hardship, he got himself some help for some personal mental issues he has gotten due to his past, and he had even started to mend his relationship with his children. It was certain to be a long, hard road but he started down a better path thanks to Frisk. The news had completely stumped Muffet. There is no way that a person as kindhearted as Frisk existed right? There must be something that they do that isn't so picture perfect. However, as more and more spiders came to her to inform their deeds that thought was quickly demolished.

The kid had little to no enemies, a plethora of good friends that they care deeply about, and a perfect record of kindness. Not to say that the human was a saint though. They still did some things that wasn't exactly pure in nature, but these were small incidents here and there. This newly reinforced knowledge had her looking at Frisk in a whole new light. She watched them a bit more carefully causing her to personally notice his overwhelming kindness. From the corner of her eyes she could see him going out of his way to make sure everyone was comfy and content. Need someone to talk to while waiting in line? Well, the human had already proven that they were great at conversation. Want some suggestions from another human being? The kid has plenty to give. Just want someone to show you around? Frisk practically knows every inch of the place.

It was strange, yet endearing the way the kid did all this. Muffet also began to notice the way they gave their all into helping her around the place. True, it could be hard for one Monster to keep the place working like clockwork- even with her arachnids to aid her. However, when Frisk was around it seemed so much more bearable. Perhaps even a little bit fun. She always gave some of her own banter to the kid while they smiled. Sometimes they even made it into some form of game that neither of them knew the rules to. It didn't matter though since they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It became kinda sad when Sans and Papyrus came by to get the Human, or when their job as ambassador kept them from coming in. Which causes Muffet quite a bit of confusion of why that would be.

Sure, the child was a treat to have around. They made the place a lot more friendly, and they may have even became one of the few friends she has outside of her spidery companions. Why then, did she feel indescribably happy when they did show up? Why did that kid seem to brighten up her day just by nodding to her? Why did she study them so intently? Most importantly though, why does she feel a little empty when they weren't around? It was probably just the fact she isn't used to having a friend like them. Yeah, a friend who will do almost anything for you no matter the cost. One that would die for you should you be in trouble. A friend who, admittedly, looks rather good in their striped shirt and simple jeans. Not many people could pull something so simple off like that after all. Really, how could someone manage to make that work so well?

Anyways, it was probably because of being a new friend. This feeling should fade over time as she gets used to their presence. Even if she may not want it to leave, but that's fine. Maybe the rush of blood to her cheeks will also disappear if she stares back into Frisk's eyes more often. Perhaps if she spent more time with them this bizarre hitch in her breathing will disappear instead of becoming a nuisance every time the kid gets close enough to her. Her stomach should stop feeling so strange, she should get her focus back, and maybe her thoughts won't be stuck on that human. It should go away soon enough, even if she doesn't want it to.

It's not like she has a crush or anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... Minor characters. I had very little to work with when it came to Ms. Muffet, but I was determined to try my hand at this. As mentioned above, I have come to love this pairing. It may be impossible to be canon, but I enjoy it greatly.
> 
> I think I may have made this rather cheesy though with the final stretch. Did not want that to happen, but unfortunately I am good with Angst and Fight scenes. Not Romance. Oh well, gave it a good try.
> 
> I do hope that you enjoyed my interpretation of the aftermath of the True Pacifist Run. I put some thought into what each person would be doing afterwards, and the Skeleton Bros working as an agency just came to me out of nowhere.
> 
> Anyways, I would be grateful if you could inform me of what you thought of this story. Follow, favorite, review, comment, Pm me, that's all up to you. I would love it if you could tell me what you thought.
> 
> Also, I think I remained constant with Frisk's ambiguous gender, but I could have slipped up somewhere. Please inform me if I did.
> 
> I have to go now, so see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	2. Silken Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello one and all to the second chapter of Spider Parlor! A fanifc that I never thought I would update at any point in my life. As you know, this is mainly about the Boss Monster Muffet after moving to the surface (and maybe has something to do with her growing crush on Frisk). Since I got rather positive reviews feedback I decided to try my hand at a second chapter. Though there was a rather good point in one of the reviews.
> 
> Randomguy . png, you are right. Dialogue is a very important part of Undertale since it basically helps the entirety of the plot/character development along. I will attempt to do Ms. Muffet proud in this chapter! Although she doesn't speak much at all during the game...this may make the story's quality plummet fast.
> 
> I do wish to warn everyone that I don't have a very good clue where this chapter will be going, so….prepare for anything.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. That's pretty simple isn't it?

Spider Silk. A simple substance that all arachnids use for their own personal survival. Typically used as the main structure in webs, this fiber is remarkably tough and versatile. Stronger than steel, yet light enough to use as a makeshift parachute for a spider on the go. Mankind has long tried to figure out how to produce enough of this miracle protein fiber to use in their own day to day lives. The closest they have come to doing so is with the process of genetic modification on goats. However, for the uniquely powerful spider clan that Muffet descends from the art of silk weaving is something that all children master early on. Using the hidden silk glands within her hands the young monster can pull out and spin her own spider silk as effortlessly as breathing in deeply. Using this she can craft her own uniquely durable silk that remains quite flexible.

What most people don't know is that the people of Muffet's spider clan has also taught their children how to manipulate their silk producing glands to have different qualities. Should she desire to, Muffet could create an extra sticky silk for securing her targets in her webs, or she could make the silk as durable as a steel cable while keeping it just as thin as a threaded string. Through the second type of silk the young lady has made almost all of her clothing with her own bare hands. Much like an arachnid spinning their web, she uses her finger tips to align the thread as needed before using the very tips of her fingers to weave the substance together. Her top two hands do that while her second set of hands keep the fabric steady while simultaneously feeling for any flaws in the stitching that needs to be dealt with. Finally, her third set of hands gently positions the growing cloth to cascade down on the floor without snagging on anything.

Using her skills of a natural seamstress Muffet prepares her newest creation in order to help speed along the 'debt' she owed Frisk. With the season passing onto fall and summer coming to a close the human would need some warmer clothing. This would be the perfect way to get some extra catching up with that elusive debt. Plus, she was going to craft herself some warmer clothing, so two customers in one web. After some initial considerations she decided on weaving together a hoodie for her friend. The design itself was rather simple as well. Since Frisk spent quite a bit of time hanging around the short skeleton, it was easy enough to choose something that would remind them of their companion. The only issue was what color the clothing was going to be. Personally, she would choose something in the shade of red or maybe purple, but the human's choice in clothing has always seemed rather limited. The only thing they ever seem to wear is either some pants and a purple striped shirt with a blue base, or shorts with the exact same kind of shirt.

What kind of color would suit Frisk? What kind of color would they like? Those questions gave Muffet a rare frown as she remains unsure of what to color the gift. Maybe she could ask around, but then she would run the risk of Frisk finding out earlier than expected. She would have to dispatch a spider later to get some insight on that particular puzzle later. With a glance at the clock the arachnid monster gently places down her project before moving to the front of her bakery. It's time to start the day. Don't want to keep her customers waiting, that would be bad for business. As she set out to prepare herself for the busy day ahead the question remained in the back of her mind while constantly plaguing her. Still, she managed to ignore it enough that she was soon setting the sign to open.

It didn't take long for her doors to be opened. Just like every other day that strange teen with that black jacket walks in before looking through the menu. He always seems to do this despite only getting a spider doughnut, but Muffet keeps a polite smile on her face as she waits patiently. He was a regular customer, so he does deserve to take his time. Besides he always seems to show up mere moments after the bakery opens. There is no need to rush him just yet.

"I think I'll have one Spider Doughnut," The same as usual "As well as two maple doughnuts, four chocolate, and throw in around a dozen glazed too." Well, that's not the usual, but more items equals more money. This would only take her, at most, seven minutes to make. So with an ever growing smile on her face she writes down the order on a pad of paper before looking up at him.

"Will that be all dearie?" When he nods in confirmation she smiles just enough to reveal the tips of her fangs "Then please sit down and make yourself comfortable. I need to get your order ready." Almost immediately she gives a cute little curtsy- you look adorable and people tend to give a better tip- before disappearing into the back. Setting off to work her hands quickly start to multi-task between preparing some new dough, setting the oven to the right temp, and making the glaze covering

While the dough is being mixed she brings out two more large mixing bowls while gathering the ingredients for her maple and chocolate coverings. Always one to remain prepared, Muffet had organized her kitchen to have sections where each part of preparation has its own place. This includes the covering as the ingredients are all in arms reach should she need them. She's done this enough times that the young lady could let her mind wander as her arms complete the tasks from muscle memory. In this state the arachnid monster couldn't help but let the hoodie question come back to her mind. She needed to get this done right or all of her hard work would be going to waste. So, what would Frisk look good in? They do seem to enjoy purple and blue at the very least, but a striped hoodie? She wanted him to enjoy it, not be bullied because of his fashion sense.

Not that she would allow them to be bullied. If anyone dared to try and hurt that human they would find themselves facing down a horde of black widows. Her precious family would coral the bullies until they find themselves in her bakery. Then the true judgement would begin as they trip onto her webs. Her darling pet has been getting a bit anxious lately, and it always loved fresh meals rather than frozen. The thought brings a growing grin to Muffet's face as she thinks about how she could prepare a delicious meal for her cupcake-arachnid, one that would be accompanied by screams of bloody terror. While the thought is nice, the young lady forces her thoughts to return back to the matter at hand while putting aside the coverings.

She starts to hum a simple tune as she makes her way over to the dough to test the consistency. As she does that her mind sorts through some small details to help make her decision easier. Frisk is rather pale for a human child, perhaps some darker clothing would suit them better than bright ones. She couldn't just go with black though, it is too dreary for someone with their joyful radiance. Navy blue? No, it's nearly the same as black. Maybe a deep purple will work. Her humming slows as she turns the mixing machine off and removing the bowl from it. Blue and purple? Is that all she can really consider when it comes to Frisk? It's shameful that her creative mind can't come with anything else.

Dashing a bit of flour onto the counter so the dough doesn't stick, the young monster mentally admits that they do look rather dashing in those colors. With a slight sigh she fixes herself on comparing those colors for her choice. To the people of the underground blue has always represented a form of integrity, and young Frisk has always displayed a great deal of integrity. They haven't lied to anyone yet, the human goes out of their way to help others, and has been a guiding light to so many people- both monsters and humans. On the other hand, purple has represented perseverance to monsters. It is also considered the color of the spider clans due to their unwavering stance in several issues. No one would be left behind in a time of crisis, family is always first, and if anything hurts one spider all of them will strike back in vengance. As the girl flattens the dough against the counter with a rolling pin she can't help but imagine Frisk in her clan's colors.

Mentally, she thinks that the color would be well suited for them, but her mind also may have them in a soft light accompanied with some small lights here and there. The human smiling a bit larger than normal while their cheeks are dusted a light pink. Such a delicious contrast of pale skin and flustered state deserves a few more moments of envisioning. Frisk really does pull off that look, but there seems to be something missing. Some element that could really make this image- and gift- stand out. Before she could try to think what it was, the image of the human starts leaning towards her in her mind's eye. What could they be doing now? Wait, is Frisk puckering his lips? I-Is he getting even closer? T-they're gonna kiss her!? She s-should stop envisioning this now, yet she doesn't as her body unconsciously leans forward to meet the image in her mind.

Just a little closer and- "Is everything alright back there?" The sudden intrusion completely destroys the illusion her mind made as it cracks before shattering like glass "I haven't heard anything back there in the past few minutes," That's right, she has a customer to attend to right now "And I have somewhere to be in the next half hour." One that's on a schedule! Quickly snapping herself out of it the only sign of her day dream is the flush of purple on her cheeks. She glances around before spying some spiders that seem to be shaking a bit with laughter. A threatening hiss while baring her fangs sends them scurrying back to work. They shouldn't be spying on a lady anyways.

"Y-your food is baking right now, dearie!~" She covers her slight panic with the playful tone that she is infamous for. Luckily, while her body did slow down a bit during her 'episode' it still did set up the doughnuts before putting them in the oven. According to the timer they only had around two minutes left to bake, so she can turn back to that feeling she had. This time she carefully envisions Frisk with the color that she had in mind.

It does look good, but it could be better. Maybe she could mix the two colors in a pattern? A design to make it truly special. Horizontal stripes are already out, but what about vertical stripes? A quick adjustment in her mind lets her analyze the idea before grimacing. Yeah, stripes are not going to work. There is the checkerboard pattern, but that just looks odd on the human. Is plaid still a thing? After another adjustment in her mind the female boss monster winces at the look. No, no it isn't. The timer going off pulls her back into what she is doing, but she's still going through designs in her mind. She quickly coats the doughnuts in a generous amount of their coverings of choice. It would be wise to let them cool a tad bit before serving, but if her customer has a bit of travel time she needs to give him it now.

All of her hands go to work wrapping the baked treats in special waxed papers to keep the chocolate, maple, glaze, and 'special glaze' on the pastries. She then sorts them in perfect alignment in her unique boxes that have cardboard on the inside to create cells for the doughnuts to rest in. Some people just don't like it when two different types of treats touch each other. It's strange, but who is she to judge? The downside of these special containers was less room for more treats, but with nine doughnuts in each they're perfectly fine. Keeping three arms wrapped underneath both boxes she quickly heads out to the front before placing them on the counter.

"Here's your order." The arachnid girl smiles just like before with her fangs barely peeking out as the teen pulls out a wallet from his jacket "I must warn you that these haven't entirely cooled yet, so take care when walking with them." Her customer absent mindedly nods as he pulls out a single bill. He slides it over to her before pocketing his wallet once more. Blinking in surprise, Muffet holds up a single one hundred dollar bill. The doughnuts costed around thirty dollars altogether.

"Keep the change." Her customer's voice makes all five of her eyes snap up to him before looking back down at the bill. He just gave her enough money to make his batch at least three times over, and she's actually feeling a bit speechless. Her treats may be good, but surely they're not that good. She couldn't accept this that readily, not when the person before her could need it more than she did later on. When she looked up to argue against this the young lady saw him already at the door.

Just before he leaves the black jacket wearing teen chuckles a little "You know, if all spiders were as cute as you I think people would spare them much more often." With that random compliment as his parting words the teen leaves the young girl with a stunned look on her face. It's not that rare to have someone call her cute, but to also leave a hundred dollar bill with that seemingly be there reason? That is certainly new.

As she puts the money into the cash register Muffet's mind replays the last words that weird teen said. If all spiders were as cute? Spiders are already adorable in her opinion. They're also naturally graceful, talented, resourceful, and frankly they are true beauties of nature. That's when it clicked in her head. Spiders. That's how she could make Frisk's hoodie unique! Her hands quickly grab onto the pad of paper she uses for her orders before sketching out two basic designs she could do. This would be the perfect gift for the human to have. When her next customers came in, she didn't bother to suppress her large grin as she took their orders. Not when she finally knew what she could do.

It would take her nearly two days before her the hoodie was woven together, and it would take one more night to dye the white clothing just the way she wanted it to be. It had been hard, but she did manage to decide the design based on a little competition that no one knew took place. If she sold more chocolate doughnuts than maple then she would go with design one. Vice versa if the maple sold more. It didn't really matter as long as she had the finished product. Now that the hoodie is complete, all she had to do was give it to Frisk!

Unfortunately, there would be a complication "Well isn't this a _sticky situation?_ " A short, pun-loving complication that she both loves and hates at the moment. How did he even manage to get himself tangled up in her web is beyond her, but that doesn't matter. She can handle some of his spider puns, but that last one was just insulting. It wasn't spider based and it was a lie! That cannot be left unopposed.

"Perhaps if you weren't so thick headed skull-boy then this wouldn't happen. However, since you're here, I have a present for you to deliver to the human." She even took the time to wrap it in some Halloween based wrapping paper. It really just had some pumpkins and witches on it. However, a large expanse of it was webbing with some tiny spiders here and there. It also helps that an actual spider is on there to make sure she knows if Frisk enjoyed it or not. That's not creepy at though. Nope, just a friendly gesture to make sure of his satisfaction. Nothing more, nothing less, and no one can prove otherwise.

Glancing down from the ceiling, where he is hanging by some thick webbing, Sans eyes the wrapped gift in question "I don't know, I like _sticking around_ here." His audience only stares back at him with an unamused stare "Ah, come on kid. Don't _leave me hanging_ on the laughs." He sees the young lady's mouth twitch upward slightly before settling back down into her neutral expression "I'm not that _stuck up_ am I?" Finally, Muffet cracks a smile before laughing sweetly at the onslaught of jokes. Despite his lazy nature Sans has always been a well-liked monster. Through his laid-back nature, never wavering smile, and rare bouts of wisdom the older of the skeleton monsters has made many friends throughout the Monster population. Muffet is not excluded from that.

"Of course not Bonehead," The tone of her voice is full of amusement as she walks underneath where the skeleton is hanging "But this is important okay? I've got a present for them." Looking over her shoulder she gestures to the box with her middle hands on her left side of her body "It's something to help them through the cold weather." She smiles slightly while turning back towards her 'captive' companion only to get startled by the sight of the skeleton standing directly in front of her. Somehow, without alerting her, Sans had escaped from the webbing and had sneaked up directly behind the young girl.

How he did that was beyond her since any movements would have caused a vibration in the webbing. That vibration would have traveled to the spiders on said web causing them to send out an alert to everyone in the vicinity. Yet, the elder of the skeleton brothers managed to escape without alerting any of her family. That simply wasn't possible. Any slight vibration to a person of Sans's size would be considered enormous to an arachnid of their size. Maybe they freed him so he can complete the task she is asking?

"You got him a present?" His deep voice pulls the spider monster out of her thoughts "That's kinda cute." If she didn't know better, Muffet could have sworn she saw his permeant grin grow even larger while her cheeks become lightly flushed. He must have the wrong idea, this is only a gift to a dear friend. She should really make that clear; however, before she could try to do that the Skeleton was already heading out of her doors. Her eye widen as she calls out after him.

"H-hey Sans! You forgot the.." Her voice falters when she turns around and sees that the box was gone, and in its place was a note. Severely confused by this, the young lady walks over to the note before reading it. Her cheeks flare up in a blush once more as she reads it.

_Don't you worry your head over it. I've got the gift right with me, and I'm sure Frisk will love it. Oh, and you really shouldn't try spy-dering around them by using your family. That's a bit rude. Besides, the kid's already stuck enough in your web._

Beside the note is the spider companion that she had hid on the wrapping paper. The small arachnid looked just as confused as she did, but her mind was stuck more on that last sentence in the note. Stuck in her web? What was that supposed to mean? Is he hinting that Frisk may..? No, that's ridiculous! Besides, she would hate to have to gently turn them down. If she did that their friendship could be ruined, but she couldn't just pretend to have feelings for him. Besides that, how did Sans manage to get her gift without even going near it? In fact, Muffet can't remember if the skeleton even ordered anything from her. She's pretty sure he didn't.

So why was he here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I would like to apologize. I think I started off stronger than I finished, much stronger. I just feel like my writing deteriorated the longer I wrote this. It doesn't have the same strength than the first chapter did. I want it to have the same strength! If I'm one of the few writers for this pairing, then I want to make good chapters damn it!
> 
> Anyways, beyond that I have to say a few important things. One, I do know that I didn't reveal the design of the jacket. I have another chapter planned, and I fully intend to reveal it next time. Two, I have to warn you that my updating schedule has always been rather strange. I rarely ever make consistent updates- as in weekly basis- since I just post whenever I'm done with a chapter. Three, I am sorry for my poor Sans depiction. He's a complicated character that I'll need some practice with before getting comfortable with him.
> 
> I would like to say that other characters will have their time in the spot-light. Toriel should be in the next one- if I follow my planning idea- and Flowey may be in the one after. That's right, I'm not leaving out the flowery version of Asriel.
> 
> Also, I would like to apologize for the puns, or attempt at them, I rarely ever use them unless I'm using Yang Xiao-Long.
> 
> I think that's everything, so I will have to go now. But before I leave I just want to say: If you need some awesome music that is both epic and inspiring, I suggest 'Hopes and Dreams- SAVE the World (Undertale) –Dual Mix-' You can find it on youtube, and it is glorious. I wrote a lot of this chapter while listening to it.
> 
> See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	3. Dreaming of A Different Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I have good news and bad news. Good: The chapter is here! Bad: I got my first actual flame. You would think that they'd at least read the story and pick that apart, but no! That's too logical. So instead, JMim decided to just insult, not just me but, everyone who enjoys Muffet as a character.
> 
> So, claps for you jackass! You've become nothing more than a nuisance that I can't remove from this story. No criticism on how to improve, laid out thoughts detailing what you thought was wrong, just two lines showing how idiotic you are. Not that I'm any better because if I was I wouldn't have written this tiny rant. I guess we'll both just enjoy each other's company in hell.
> 
> On the brighter side, a lot of people have enjoyed this story! This fic is getting more views in a few days than my other ones did in months. I guess that's part of the good news!
> 
> I would like to thank all of you who honestly reviewed because it really does help to get some constructive criticism, or just kind words. I may not remember all that criticism at times, but that isn't because I don't care. Nope! It's simply because I forget a lot of things.
> 
> Hehehe….sorry about that, let's get the show started huh?
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. I could never come up with a story that beautiful. Mine is kind of cheesy, or at least I think so.

Running, she's got to keep running. The darkness around her may make it seem like nothing is changing, but she has to be getting somewhere. Just because she can't see anything new doesn't mean anything. No, what is concerning her is the lack of touch. What is scaring her is the lack of vibration. The two most steadfast guides she has ever had while exploring unknown areas are failing her. The girl can't even feel her own footsteps vibrating through the ground. It isn't right in the slightest. It's unnatural that her natural abilities are failing her so completely. Her feet are still hitting the ground in order to move forward, so why can't she feel anything solid when she kicks off the ground? The young child's breathing speeds up as her eyes dart back and forth, desperate to see anything. Anything other than this bleak path of despair. It seems like that she would be stuck running through the depths of this darkness until something catches her eyes.

The difference is faint, but she can barely make out some dark grey in the midst of the sea of blackness. Her feet skid against the ground as she tries to change directions in an instant. The transfer of momentum nearly makes her body hit the ground. Instead, she uses all six of her hands to stop herself from falling before clawing into the darkness to pull herself towards the greyness. With her arms helping out her legs she rushes towards the slightest bit of light in the hopes of escaping this unnatural place. Her efforts seem to be paying off as the grey starts to brighten into lighter shades of the color, and the feeling of hope grows as she pushes her body to go faster. The muscles in her legs start to burn, her lungs try to keep up with the demand for air that those muscles need, and the brightening color was starting to hurt her eyes a bit. Yet, that didn't matter to her. The light was beckoning her towards it.

Her footsteps felt lighter. Hell, she could start to feel her feet hit against the ground! A relieved smile starts to form as she kicks off of the ground harder. Finally, she's going to be freed from this place! However, when she was five steps from her destination something tripped her. Her eyes widen in surprise as she crashes into the ground hard while sliding a bit forward from leftover momentum. A dull pain throbs in her body as she groans, but she ignores it in favor of looking for what tripped her. To her surprise, she finds that a random vine trailing across the ground is what tripped her up. Strange, the dark green of the vine stands out quite a bit from the other colors around, yet she didn't notice it in her frantic rush towards the light. Before she could question why she didn't notice the blatantly obvious vine, the light in front of her shinned much brighter. Using the top and middle of her left arms to shield her eyes the young lady looked back towards the light and saw something she didn't notice before.

There is a figure in the midst of the light. In fact, if she didn't know any better she would say the light was coming from the figure. Unable to see any features of this being, the young lady couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl. All she could tell was that the person is most likely human due to the lack of extra appendages, spikes, fluffy outline of fur, or fish ears. Yet, a part of her cold feel as if she both knew and wanted to know this person. In an act of kindness, the figure before her crouches down before offering their hand to help her up. With a slight smile she reaches out to accept that hand, but searing pain stops her as something stabs into her leg. Before she could even look to see what did embed itself into her leg the child feels herself being dragged away from the light and figure. Using five of her six hands, she digs her fingers into the growing darkness below her while reaching out with her last hand.

The figure quickly moves forward with their hand outstretched, but they didn't move fast enough as the girl's hands get ripped out of the ground. With a frightened scream the young lady is dragged back into the darkness while being twisted onto her back. Now able to see down at her leg, she discovers that the vine that she tripped over is what is dragging her, but the vine somehow grew large thorns in the matter of moments that are digging into her leg. She screeches in pain when the vine's grip on her tightens causing the thorns to go past her skin and into her muscles. Blood quickly begins to seep out of the wounds as the bones in her leg begin to crack under the pressure. Her body tenses up as she tightly closes her eyes from the pain. The sound of crunching bone rings around her as the pain surges into intolerable levels, but before she could voice her torment a different voice sounds out.

"Howdy!" Her eyes snap open at the unfamiliar voice, and the sight before her is utterly confusing "I'm-" Is there really a small golden flower with a smiling face looking at her? "-the Flower!" Wait, what was its name? She couldn't hear it. It was just so blurred. Her focus returns to her leg as the vine suddenly ramps up the pressure causing a fragment of bone to pierce through her muscle and flesh. Staring in horror at the bone sticking out of her body, the young girl feels herself being filled with terror. Any attempt to claw away at the vine was quickly dashed as several more vines erupt from the ground and binds all six of her arms.

They yanks backwards making her arms completely straighten out before putting pressure on the lower parts of her arms "I've heard of you." That statement gets her attention for a mere moment before she feels her bottom left elbow start to crack under the pressure "I've heard of your crush on Frisk." If she wasn't in so much pain right now, the young lady would have been blushing at the unfounded accusation. Unfortunately, she was in that much pain, and even more so when her bottom left arm gives out and breaks at the elbow. The sudden surge of pain makes her scream out louder to voice her suffering and fear. The noise only serves to invigorate the assaulting vines.

"Well, if you're going to like Frisk," Soon her middle right one follows the other arm's example causing her scream to go into a much higher pitch "You should know everything about them!" At the same time her upper left and lower right arm gives out as well "Including their darkest secret." The pain is so immense that her screams go into the soundless category, yet despite the pain she isn't going unconscious. No, it feels like every injury inflicted onto her was making her pay even closer attention to the next one. Each surge of pain, forcing her to indulge in an even worse surge next time.

Her final arm begins to crack like all the others were causing her to whimper in fear for the next painful break "Oh, don't worry silly! I won't break the last one." Her eyes widens in surprise as she looks at the golden flower in confusion. Strangely, she didn't feel any relief from that sentence, but instead she feels the terror building within her. Something else is coming. Something even more horrible than this flower. The growing smile on the flower only reinforces this idea as the thing looks positively demonic. Even its eyes have turned black with tiny blood red pupils as it somehow bares fangs at her.

" **In CaSe yOu WaNt To TrY cRaWlInG aWaY."** Terror swiftly changed to panic as the vines release her arms. The demonic flower's face turns back to its smiley façade before smirking slightly as it takes great enjoyment from its victim's terrified image, but before any more words could be spoken the being disappears into the ground. Now completely alone, the young lady tries to push herself up with her remaining arm. The slightest jolt of movement sparks an intense moment of pain from her other arms. Brushing it against the darkness below causes the blood from her leg to leave a trail while her jutting out bone grinds against the floor.

Still she continues to try as she grits her teeth and pushes harder. The pain gets too intense for her to handle forcing her to pause in her efforts. She pants from the exertion she is putting on her greatly injured body, and she closes her eyes to rest for the moment. While she rests the world around her begins to waver and change. As if an reality altering heat wave passes through the area, the ground underneath her changes to a familiar web platform. Behind her the room changes from being a dark abyss to a dark room filled with webbing criss-crossing through the entirety of it. Now having caught her breath, the child opens her eyes, and with wide eyes of shock she takes in the sight before her. Caught in a sticky web floor trap looks to be Frisk. Their feet looks to be caught deep into the layers of webbing making their movement extremely slow as they have to force their feet through the sticky substance.

Despite the odd scenario, the little lady can't help but feel that this seems rather familiar. This was almost exactly like how she met the human. With a weak giggle, she remembers how she was suppose to kill them in order to get the money they needed. She never could have expected them to pay almost ten thousand dollars for a simple doughnut, but that just shows how good-natured Frisk is. To think, she nearly believed all those lies about them too. As nostalgic as this is though something seems different about the human. There just seems to be a strange aura around them that simply isn't like how they normally are. It's almost like... No, they've always been kind. That cold, emotionless look must be a hallucination from blood loss. Speaking of which, she is losing quite a bit of blood right now. Maybe they can help her.

Pushing herself up a small bit more the young lady weakly calls out to her friend "F-frisk..." The human paused for a moment before looking over at her "P-please, h-help..." The weak cry seem to have sparked some form of emotion behind those eyes. Was that some excitement? What could Frisk be excited about at a moment like this? The question is pushed aside as she focuses on the slowly approaching human.

That webbing is really slowing them down. It gives her a chance to examine them as thoroughly as her blood-draining body could. Even with her vision becoming more blurred some odd differences from the Frisk she knew and this one became apparent. The first thing that became apparent was the fact that they weren't wearing their striped blue and purple shirt. Why the fashion change to green and yellow? It looks nice enough on them, but it just fills her with a foreboding sense of fear. When did they get that heart-shaped locket around their neck? More importantly, why do they have that dagger? W-why is it coated in blood? It looks so w-worn down, like i-its been u-used so much before. Even with her vision turning a foggy black around the outline of her vision, the young girl realizes something is extremely wrong with this sight.

Unconsciously, she begins to pull herself back away from the being that looks like her friend "Y-you're not Frisk," Panic begins to envelop her as she tries to get away from this thing "Stay away from me!" Oh god, why didn't she notice the blood splatter across the being's face? Those eyes look so excited for something. T-they're going to kill her. She's going to die here. Alone on her web, without friends or family. Her dust will fall through the spaces of the web and into the darkness below where her remains will never be found.

The fog is getting larger now as her vision becomes nearly completely blurred, yet she manages to pick out one last thing. The sight of it causes her heart to nearly stop while her entire body feels chilled to the bone. Around the green and yellow striped shirt is a hoodie. A blue and purple hoodie that has the colors outlined into a repeating pattern that makes it look like two legions of purple and blue spiders are going across it. The very hoodie she made for Frisk. Why does this creature have that? Did it snatch it from frisk? Or did it...? No, no, no, no, no. Frisk would never be taken out by this horrible imitation. Their determination would keep them going in the harshest of times, so it's impossible to have-

Oh god. That thing didn't. It couldn't have!

"What did you do to Frisk!?" Her scream resembles more of a roar with fear and anger mixing into terrified combination "Answer me! What did you do!?" It was extremely hard to tell with only a tiny part of her vision not being a foggy black, but she could just make out the large grin on that horrifying doppelganger's face. Whether it is from that grin, the fact that it seems like Frisk may be dead, or just from blood loss alone the girl's body is drained of all color. She begins to tremble in fear and anguish. Could Frisk really be gone? Could they have lost to this thing?

The girl was pulled out of her thoughts by a large vibration in the web coming from right beside her. Shaikly looking up she can sort-of see the false Frisk standing above her with that weapon pointed right her. With her arms useless, leg shattered, and spirit broken the child could only stare with a weakening gaze as the dagger is swung downward. She wants to close her eyes so badly. She doesn't want to watch her life being ended, but her body won't obey her as the sharpened blade's tip is buried into her uppermost eye.

Five eyes snap open as she bolts up into a sitting position. Looking in every direction while panting heavily, Muffet finds herself still on the web she calls her bed. True, it's just another web in the upper part of her bakery, but to her it's good enough to lay her head down for the night. Blinking a few times to make sure that she's where she thinks she is. Gently, she brings a shaking arm up to her top eye before waving her hand in front of it. She lets out a shuddering breath as she sees her hand move in front of it. With a little bit of trepidation, the monster girl moves her left leg slowly. No sharp sensation of pain, no gushing of blood, and no bone grinding against bone. With her heart pounding against her chest at ninety miles per hour, the spider girl gently crawls to the edge of her web before dropping down to the floor.

Landing on the balls of her feet she barely makes a sound when she lands. Making sure to stay quiet the monster girl goes to the kitchen. She tiptoes around her slumbering pet before turning on the sink. Her two top hands reaches down while cupping together under the water. When enough had filled up between her hands she splashes the water against her face. The chilling water is a bit of an unpleasant shock to her body, but she needs it at the moment. With her middle set of arms gripping the edge of the sink tightly, she stares down while her mind races through what little she could remember. A small flower that crippled her? A being that looks like Frisk? What on earth was that about? Why did they both seem so strangely familiar to her?

What the hell did she just dream, and why does she feel like something like that has already happened to her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I hope you guys enjoy this mood whiplash. I mean seriously, it was so cheerful, nice, and slightly cheesy before BAM! A sucker punch from the left. You now have a black eye of terror.
> 
> I don't think I have to mention who those last two are, but you may be interested to know why she dreamed of them.
> 
> PTSD.
> 
> Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
> 
> Well, it may not entirely be that, but we know that every reset leaves a little bit of memories behind. Just enough to notice the similarities without realizing that they truly have done this before.
> 
> That means that Muffet has encountered the flower before, true pacifist ending makes that canon, but more importantly: if she saw that person... how did she get those memories?
> 
> I leave you to the implications of that.
> 
> On a lighter note, the next chapter should be back to more happy/cheerful stuff! Even though this fic is now forever tainted with this darkness. Also, I have to admit that people have really made some amazing fan-works of Undertale. You should really go onto youtube and just search for stuff. It's amazing: Like Sans's Stronger than You animated music video.
> 
> I don't watch Steven Universe, but this rendition of that song is amazing. I love it.
> 
> Oh, as always please review or tell me what you think. If you spot a mistake in Frisk/you-know-who's ambiguous gender wording please tell me. I shall wait for those notices.
> 
> Anyways, I should leave you to wallow in fear. So, see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	4. Arachnid's Work Ethic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you horrified people! That's right, I ripped Muffet apart for your horror and enjoyment. There is a reason behind my twisted logic, and if you know the effects of playing one ending before resetting to try the other you know what that meant. It may not have been Frisk experiencing it, but I hope it shined a light on the direction this may go.
> 
> Onto more lighthearted notes, I am seriously glad people are enjoying this! I rarely ever come up with a worthwhile idea and- apparently- write it well enough for it to work. Yet, I've been getting almost only good review for this. It's a rarity for me that I couldn't be happier to have done.
> 
> Even if the premise has probably been thought of quite a bit. So, let us delve into the next chapter of the Spider Parlor!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. I would have made companion options that could help delve deeper into the choices you make. Of course that could easily backfire….

She never managed to go back to sleep after that nightmare. Muffet did manage to get back to her web without alerting her pet or family, but she couldn't even close her eyes for very long. Too long with her eyes closed would cause images to flash before her eyes. Sometimes it was her arms being snapped by the elbow. Other times the vision of her leg bleeding with a broken bone jutting out greets her tired mind. However, it is always the sight of the bloody worn dagger coming down directly into her top eye that makes her sit up straight. More than one time that night she wrapped her arms around her body while shivering in fear. That dream was so out of place, yet it was also very familiar to her- especially the final part with that murderous Frisk clone. It was almost like she had actually experienced that at one time. However, that's impossible. She would never had been able to forget something like that, much less survive it.

The rest of the night was a constant repetition of tossing and turning, attempting to sleep before being startled awake, and looking around in constant fear for a threat that isn't there. Needless to say, it was a rough night for Muffet. With the only bit of sleep being those few hours of nightmarish torture, she wasn't feeling like her normal cheery self the next morning. Every one of her family immediately noticed, but before they could try to see what was wrong she just told them she had some troubles sleeping. Out of pure worry for the young lady the spiders attempted to convince her to rest a couple more hours. Putting her work over her wellbeing wouldn't be a wise thing to do. However, the spider girl had a feeling that if she tried to sleep, she would be greeted by the same visions of terror all over again. She refuses to go through that if she could avoid it.

So, the young lady choices to set up for the day like normal. Though she moves a bit slower than normal with her mind weighed down as well as her body exhausted. She remains determined though as she makes fresh dough while sluggishly going through a mental preparation list for the day ahead. She's been running low on supplies lately, a trip to the store would be needed. That would mean a half day of work today in order to make time for the store, organizing things where they go, and maybe a little time to try to rest later. Though, that would only happen if she can get through the day first. Hopefully she could. Taking a half day off is already bad for business, but collapsing during a work day? That would be catastrophic for her little bakery. Rumors would be spread about that causing less people to come in. Whether they think they're doing that so she can have less word, or if people thought bad of her didn't matter.

She needed to keep her doors open. This is her home as well as her livelihood. The monster girl has already pushed aside many other things that people her age get just to secure a home for her family. She rarely goes out to enjoy herself, any friends she has is made through her business, and the idea of going to school is foolhardy. Only having her bakery open on the weekends? In order to compensate she would have to rocket her prices up. Higher prices mean less people even bothering to come in to look, less people means less profit, and less profit means being shut down. There was never a chance for her to go and get an education, which was too bad. She would have been in Frisk's class. Not that it's the main reason she wanted to go, having more friends would be lovely, but it would be nice to talk to the human more. Maybe they could alleviate the residual fear that she has from that dream. Or at least help her make some sense out of it.

A quick glance at the clock startles her out of those distracting thoughts. It's already almost time to open up shop? Taking a look around she sees her kitchen full of unfinished preparations. The ingredients for chocolate, maple, and spider doughnuts are just sitting out, the oven isn't pre-heated, and the dough hasn't even begun mixing! Looking around in slight panic Muffet quickly realizes she would never have the time to finish all of these before opening up shop. With a growl of disappointment in herself the young girl forces her weary body to go as fast as it can so she could at least get some of this done. Her hands were almost a blur of coordinated efficiency as she put her multitasking skills to the test. By the time the store was supposed to open, she had just cut out the doughnuts. She was about to place them in the oven when she noticed that fact. With a sigh she placed the pan on a nearby table before dusting off her hands.

She silently hoped and dreaded for the possibility of a slow morning. She knew that wouldn't be the case though. Given the fact it was Saturday meant that adults, children, and teens alike would flock to places where their sweet tooth could be satisfied. Her reputation of speedy delivery made her bakery quite the popular place to stop for a moment before heading out to make the most of people's day. Though, with how the day is going so far it seems like that reputation may be ruined. Deciding not to dwell on that negative thought the young lady quickly returns to her kitchen to try and make the most progress she could at the moment. Maybe she could at least get a few fresh doughnuts ready for their coverings before her place fills up with people.

However, she was not prepared for what she saw in the kitchen. The moment she entered her cooking/baking area the young monster didn't know what to say. In front of her, legions of her family were working together to get things ready. A good squad of them were carrying pans of doughnuts to the back of her pet while another squad was bringing one of her spare pans to the dough. Her darling pet seemed to be able to balance the pan on its back before walking it over to the open oven. Tilting its back, the pan slid into the center of the heating rack before the cupcake spider nudged the door closed. Working at the dough, the larger of the spiders were putting all of their combined weight on top of plastic cups to make the circular shapes needed. To her amazement, Muffet sees multiple spiders use their webs to pull the glasses out of the dough while keeping the perfect circle shapes they need.

She always knew that they would be there for her no matter what, but the sheer efficiency that they are accomplishing is truly startling. The only thing that wasn't being done was mixing the glazes. The young girl suspected that was because they wanted to leave something for her. Her family knew that she could get offended by someone taking over her kitchen. After all, it's not kind to take someone's pride and joy away from them. A whisper in her ear snapped her out of the daze her family sent her into. She sees the little spider that would have gone to Frisk's house on the Halloween wrapping paper. The spider monster smiles slightly as she is reminded of time restraints. With her family helping her, that is no longer a problem. With a more confident view on how today will go she quickly heads to her own station. With a controlled speed to get just the right consistency, the glazes are soon ready to decorate the doughnuts.

With an unexpected moment of relaxation Muffet looks over everything before contemplating if she should expand her selection. Doughnuts are nice and all, but her store is called a bakery. That suggests baked goods- not only baked circles. It's been a while, but maybe she could start making some croissants again. Those were always so lovely to sink her teeth into. When freshly baked the insides are so soft and fluffy with just a touch of airiness that made one believe that they were eating a cloud. Perhaps she could make some special companion to them too. Maybe some sort of sauce, unique glaze, or maybe- Hm? Wasn't that the door being opened? Oh, right! She has customers to work with. Ideas for expanding the menu can come later.

With a small smile gracing her lips, she sets out to deliver satisfaction to her hungry customers. Despite only being a half-day for her bakery it was an extremely successful work day. Like every Saturday, her place was flooded with customers wanting some of her baked treats. She was quickly sold out of the fresh baked goods up front, but with her family continuing their hard work in the back all she had to do was put the glazes on. It was a much easier day for her than normal. However, she will not let this situation happen again. The arachnid monster may be thankful for their help, but she was certain she could handle everything by herself again tomorrow. She was supposed to provide for them not the other way around. There was an extra bit of stress-relief that came with being upfront almost constantly.

Near the end of the work day Frisk came into the Bakery with their new purple and blue jacket. The sight not only almost made Muffet swoon, but she was very happy that they enjoyed her gift. The human was quick to sit next to the front where they could be easily situated next to her. She knows that she really shouldn't, but the casual way they do that always made a blush rise on the young girl's cheek. It almost resembled a romantic partner coming in to check on their hard working love. The thought nearly didn't register completely, but when it did her face almost went completely flustered. Why does her mind always do this to her? She is not interested in having a relationship right now! Besides, would someone like Frisk really be without someone to call their love? If such a sweet, caring being didn't have someone then she would let Papyrus run her store for a day.

Still, since her bakery had opened the human had made it a tradition to come in just to converse with her. The topics of the two's talks range depending on what had happened recently in their lives. It didn't matter if it was school, work, or nonsense. Every talk was such a nice experience; however, she couldn't help but always feel like she never really learned much about Frisk. Sure, she knows their recent experiences fairly well, but what of their past? That much was a mystery to everyone who knows the child. She had a sneaking suspicion that not even Toriel knows where the human had originated from. They climbed Mt. Ebott right? So, that would suggest that they live near it. Yet, when everyone had been freed they chose to stay with the former Queen of the Underground instead of returning home. Did they even have a home? Was their family convinced they died? Did the human's family even care?

These questions have burned in the back of the arachnid monster since she first really started to get to know Frisk. She would never try to ask them though. Their relationship wasn't fragile by any means, but she had decided that if the human wanted to tell her then they will. If they don't, well then they don't. That was very personal information after all. The young lady has no right to try and force that out of them. She would rather remain content with their idle talk while she served people her treats with a cute smile. However, today she did have a much darker question to ask. The notion to ask someone else about her own nightmare is about may seem strange, but the girl still hasn't shaken the feeling that something about it was so familiar. If that thing that killed her in that dream is somehow related to them, then they should be able to ease her fears right?

"Frisk dearie, I need to talk to you about something. Could you please follow me?" Her experiences at night are not for public ears to pick up. Sharing the horrifying experience with someone she trusted was hard enough, those she doesn't trust have no right to know of what is going on in her personal life. The confusion on the human's face was slight, but still noticeable as they followed her. The two of them quickly pass through the kitchen into the very back where the young lady lays her head down to slumber. It seemed fitting enough that this is where they talk about this.

Turning to face Frisk, Muffet pauses for a moment to see her friend looking out into the kitchen in amazement "I know it's an unusual sight Frisk, but may we talk?" A slight tinge of much needed amusement can be heard in her voice. Her lips curl up slightly in a smile as Frisk faces her with a slight grin on their face. Why do they always seem to be able to cheer anyone up just be being there? Is it part of their determination to just make everyone happy? If so, she can't help but be a bit envious towards the people who see them much more often.

"What is it Muffet?" The young lady has to suppress some shivers going down her spine from the human's voice. As far as she could tell, Frisk rarely ever speaks without purpose. They preferred to listen more than say in order to get a better grasp on any situation. That sort of mentality had no doubt helped them befriend almost everyone they meet; however, it would be quite the lie to say that the human didn't have a voice as smooth as velvet. The rare instances where they speak for much longer than a single sentence are like heaven to her ears. Oh god, she can feel her face heating up. She needs to focus on the task at hand-

Speaking of hand, why is their hand suddenly touching her forehead "You alright? You're heating up quite a bit." Of course she's going to be heating up if they continue to do that! Okay, it's getting harder to focus now. The dazed girl starts to feel the full effects from her lack of sleep combined with the work day. Unconsciously, her body begins to sway in the slightest way. Most wouldn't even be able to notice it, but Frisk isn't like most. They survived the underground by noticing the smallest of details, and a detail like this would be an instant alarm to them.

The young human steps back to examine Muffet with a slight frown "You're dead on your feet." It would be utterly useless to try and convince them otherwise "I think whatever you wanted to talk about can wait, you need rest." The spider girl opened her mouth to protest before the feeling of his hand encasing her center right hand causes her blush to act up again. She was effectively silenced as her companion gently leads her back to her webbing. After helping the young girl up onto it the human's grip lingers for a moment longer than necessary before letting go.

The webbing feels utterly divine to the humanoid arachnid, but even with her body rebelling against her need to stay awake she tries to convey what was on her mind "Wait… I need to…" She struggles to keep her eyes open as they each close one by one. The last image she sees is the sight of a smiling Frisk standing beside her bed. Almost as if they were a guardian angel here to protect her while she sleeps. That final thought lulled her asleep. Although, for one small moment, she could have sworn their shirt changed to green and yellow.

Maybe it was just a trick of an exhausted mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel as if this chapter came out a little bit weirder than others. Like the quality went down. Then again, I get that feeling all the time, so nothing new on that front. I still do hope you enjoy this chapter though. I felt as if it needed a more happy/cheesy tone to it compared to the horror show you guys and gals got last time.
> 
> As always, I would love it if you guys could tell me if I did a 'gender mistake' regarding Frisk anywhere in this chapter. I would just like to add that if you could give me the general area of the mistake then I could fix it much faster without combing through the entire chapter with a fine tooth comb.
> 
> Regardless, now that this chapter is done I can try to start introducing other characters! Hey, as much as their interactions can be cheesily adorable we still need others. I just don't know how to incorporate Papyrus…. I mean I want him in here, but forcing him in doesn't sound like the best idea. Plus, being the frontman of an Agency must keep the man busy. Oh well, I'll figure these things out later.
> 
> I would like to do a quick thank you to those who did help point out some gender issues I made in the earlier chapters. You people made it clear that I have a tendency to write Frisk as a guy when I'm not completely focused. I will admit that I do believe that Frisk is a guy, but I wanted to keep the ambiguous part of the character because it seems to be a good aspect of them. So, again please help me with that.
> 
> One last thing: Thank you for reviewing Randomguy. png, but please don't make it sound like I have a solid work schedule. I don't want to disappoint when I inevitably fail that schedule, but it also makes me feel more stressed. More stressed equals more rushed, or giving up entirely. Just a fair warning
> 
> Anyways, I need to get going. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	5. Is There Trouble in Paradise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all once again! I am your author for this chapter: DeathOnWings1203, but please refer to me as Noche (Long story). For this chapter I plan on... well nothing. I rarely ever plan these things out.
> 
> Regardless, I hope to dazzle you today! Or horrify you! Possibly both! We won't know until we get there. With nothing else to say, shall we start this chapter?
> 
> Disclaimer: I only own my own Ocs and nothing else.

A smile is gracing Muffet's lips as she walks from class to the lunchroom. Her history book is securely in her light purple shoulder bag. She smiles slightly as her lower left hand brushes against the black sewed on spider design. Her mother did a great job putting that on. Soon the arachnid girl pushes the door open to the spacious lunchroom before looking around for her friends. A waving hand catches her attention, and with a smile she walks over to her friends. She has to do a little maneuvering in order to make it through the crowd of students, but she manages to make it without any accidents.

"Hello dearies!~" Her excitement is easily noticed by the other two at the table causing them to share knowing looks. The spider girl merely rolls her eyes at their looks though. So what if she's still a little giddy after being asked out by the person of her dreams? Shouldn't they be happy for her too? When the little shy blonde beside her got asked out they all cheered for her. Instead, they're being cheeky instead of celebrating with her.

Of course little Miss Raven Hair has to speak up about it too "Gee Muffet, you still up there on cloud nine?" She's getting even sassier with every day that passes by "You're friends on earth would like you to come back." Defiantly getting a lot sassier as time marches on. That's it, she needs to get together with Mr. Silver-haired-hunk. A small grin breaks out on the monster girl's face as she rolls her eyes again. How her friend is crushing on the brooding boy is beyond her, but it would be nice to get her friend someone. Besides, everyone already knows she's gushing over the boy.

It would at least drive the conversation back onto something that they could tease her about. However, before the young monster could bring up her friend's obvious crush, a pair of arms wraps around her stomach. Glancing down at the arms, she smiles when those arms are concealed behind familiar purple and blue sleeves. A smile breaks out on her lips as her dark haired friend rolls her eyes with an amused smile. The sound of suppressed giggles can be barely heard from the artist. The arachnid monster dutifully ignores both of their antics while her middle arms reaches down before resting her hands on top of the ones residing on her stomach. Air brushes her ear as the person behind her laughs slightly, and it sends a pleasant shiver down little Muffet's spine in the most delightful way.

"Enjoying yourself Muffet?" God, that voice is going to make her melt into a puddle if she continues to listen to it. Great her blush is flaring up again. Now, her friends are laughing openly at the sight. Embarrassment revenge plans are now going to be made, and she will not be merciful in the- why is their head resting on her shoulder now? The person's gentle breathing sharply comes into focus. Everything just seems to fade away as she finds herself focusing on the calming sound.

That gentle laugh nearly sends her swooning as she hears it again "What's wrong? Can't handle someone as great as I?" Such sweet- Wait? As great as them? That's not right. They haven't ever bragged about anything. Her eyes furrow in confusion as she thinks about what her new partner just said. Slowly, she turns her head to look at the face settling on her shoulder, and she does not like what she saw.

"After all I, the Great Papyrus, am an amazing boyfriend!" The sight of the lanky skeleton's ever grinning face is not the most welcomed sight. It gets even worse for her when she notices the special jacket she made over his 'battle body'. With widening eyes she stares in an mixture of horror and confusion before taking a deep breath to scream at the scene.

At that moment her eyes snap open before darting around the room. If the familiar comfortable substance she is on is anything to go on, she's probably on her webbing bed. Due to the fact she never installed a window, the young lady couldn't tell what time if it was night or not. However, she was certain that it must at least be after work hours. The place seems far too silent for there to be any customers. It was simply too calm for the hussle and bussle of a work day in her bakery, and that calm silence helped the young lady relax her body. Her breath comes out in a small sigh before her eyes narrow in annoyance. That dream was so wonderful until the ending. Next time she sees the taller skeleton she should put webbing in his eye sockets. It may be a mean thought, but it was nice to entertain it.

The faint sound of something clattering against wood reaches the slightly drowsy girl's ears. Was there someone in her kitchen? Strangely, the faint smell of butterscotch reaches her nose. Someone in her kitchen who is cooking something? It is a rare thing for someone other than her or her family to be in the kitchen, but someone else using her equipment to cook? Completely unheard of. She swung her legs over the side of the web before dropping to the ground just as silently as she did the night before. Remaining silent, the young lady makes her way over to the kitchen before peaking inside. She blinks in surprise when she sees that a woman is in her kitchen. If the ears and small horns are anything to go by, she's probably a goat monster. Strange, there was only three known monsters like that and they were the royal-

A realization quickly comes to Muffet's mind as all five of her eyes widen slightly. The former queen of the Underground is in her kitchen cooking something. She never thought she would meet the royal woman like this, much less while said royal queen is wearing a bright yellow shirt. In curiosity the young monster glances around the room to see what her kitchen's state is. Everything still sees to be in order, nothing is put out of place, the floors are clean, and the only thing that isn't where it is suppose to be is the ingredients on the counter. Some movement in the corner of her eyes catches her attention. Strangely, it looks like her cupcake arachnid is going up to the former queen with some oven mitts in it's mouth.

Well, that settles things. If her pet gets along with someone, it is a sure sign that they can be trusted. There hasn't been a single moment where her pet had gotten a person's personality wrong. So, while the woman in the kitchen dusts off some residual flour on her pants, the spider monster takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. It's not everyday you get to meet someone who once ruled over everyone in such a kind manner before disappearing. Subconsciously, she brushes off her clothing to straighten everything out before stepping into the kitchen with a little more weight to her steps. The sound of her, now audible, footsteps must have caught the older woman's attention because she almost immediately turned towards her.

"Oh, you're awake child." If Muffet hadn't already figured out that the woman before her was the queen then she could have easily assumed that she was someone's mother by her gentle disposition "How are you feeling?" Seriously, how could this woman be any gentler? Her tone is so soft that the spider girl almost has to strain her ears to hear it. Yet, it has to be one of the most soothing things she has ever heard.

Still, the knowledge that her former queen is in front of her nearly makes her curtsy just to be formal "I'm feeling fine, your Highness." At least she managed to keep a nervous stutter out of her voice. God knows that in her earlier days that was a major issue for her. Didn't matter if it was a small crowd or someone she was trying to intimidate, that stutter usually ruined everything. Only through practice with her family, rehearsing things in her head, and her own determination did she manage to mostly beat that habit. It still shows up now and then, and oddly enough Frisk is normally nearby when it happens.

"Please child, call me Toriel." The woman's stern look helps to make this clear while shaking her head in exasperation "I am no longer your Queen, but rather I am just like everyone else." Muffet quickly notes that this must come up in conversation more often than the older woman likes. It'll be a bit difficult not to fall into formality, but in respect for Toriel the young lady will try to remember that.

"O-of course Toriel," Doing her best not to wince at the sound, Muffet inwardly winces as some of her nervous stutter manages to break through "May I ask w-why you're here, and using my kitchen?" Damn that stutter! It's making it so much harder to take anything she says seriously with that happening. Keep it together and make a good impression! This is Frisk's surrogate mother after all. If she is going to get together with the human she needs to- Wait, what did she just think!? Goddamn it blush, not now!

"Well, Frisked called me to help take care of the place while you rested." They asked the former queen to come just because she was feeling a bit tired? "As for your kitchen," That's so sweet of them to do "I decided to make some butterscotch pie for the two of you." The girl briefly wonders how she is going to pay this one back though "However, I thought you would still be resting for quite some time. Frisk told me you were exhausted." Maybe she can make more clothing for the human later. Then again, she could try to give him an actual paycheck again.

At that moment Muffet realized she just basically ignored everything Toriel just said "O-oh, well thank you d-dearie for looking after the place." She feels her dignity shot the bits as her stutter persists. Yet, at the same time she does feel extremely grateful that someone watched over her bakery while she rested. It's a genuine relief that her bakery's reputation was protected by these two, and since people saw her working first her reputation may even improve. It says something when the owner works themselves to complete exhaustion. Sure, that's not exactly what happened, but that's not something they need to know.

A thought occurred to the baker as she sees the ingredients on the counter. Her lips curl downward slightly as she goes over to the ingredients. Upon examination she winces at the amount left within her containers. She really does need to go shopping now, but for the moment she can amuse her guests like a good host. She turns her gaze upward to see her family amassing up on the ceiling in worry. The young lady lips perk upward at the sight before raising up her upper right hand. Almost instantly several arachnids descend from the ceiling and land on her offered hand. They immediately scatter to check everywhere on her for any signs of issues. As they do that, they're legs brush against some sensitives spots on the young girl's body making her giggle sweetly while she lets them fuss over her.

"I'm fine you guys!" She starts to wiggle around a bit as she giggles a little louder "I just needed some sleep." Her words calm them a little bit. However, they still remain persistent in their search as a just in case thing. Families can be a bit overprotective after all, and hers is certainly no different in that regard. So, she lets them fret over her for a few more minutes before the crawl to the end of her hands. With a smile on her face the young monster places her family on the floor. As the spiders scurry back up to the ceiling she goes over to her cupboard to bring out her tea pot and cups. If she's going to be a host she should at least offer them some relaxing tea.

"If you don't mind making some tea, could you please get another cup for Frisk's friend?" Muffet merely nods as she brings out a fourth cup. Scanning through the choices available, her mind debates which to pick. If both of them aren't big tea drinkers white tea would be a better selection. Less powerful flavors and a more gentle type of aroma. Perfect for a relaxing time. On the other hand, maybe they would enjoy a more flavourful drink. Plus, some types of black tea have a simply intoxicating aroma to them. Perhaps the middle ground would be the best place to start, and if they don't enjoy that she can get one more towards their style. That seems to be a perfectly fine idea.

As she reaches up to run through the boxes of green tea she has the young arachnid registers what Toriel said. Frisk's friend? Is someone else in her abode with the Human? For some reason the thought nags at her in the back of her mind. Strange, the fact she seems to be slipping in her concentration lately should put her more on edge than that. Regardless, she takes out one of the boxes of tea before filling the teapot with water. She can't help but wonder who this friend is while she places the teapot on her MTT-brand stove to boil. Surely, just taking a quick peek wouldn't be rude right? This is her home after all, and she should make sure she can remain a good host. With that in mind she places the box of green tea to the side before calmly walking out to the front of her bakery.

Right before she was going to make herself known the sound of laughter reaches her ears. A rather girlish laughter. This makes her pause in the shadows that her cashier web makes, and her mind ceases of all conflicting thoughts as it makes one unanimous decision: Find out who that is. As silent as an arachnid scurrying across someone's ceiling, the young monster walks forward while reaching out with her top left hand. The tips of her finger pierce through her own webbing as she gently spreads them creating a hole to look through. Leaning in to get a better look, she closes her four other eyes to completely focus on the sight she is going to see. What she does see makes her stomach go into knots.

She grits her teeth slightly causing all but her fangs to grind together. Her free hands clench together into tightly balled up fists. She can faintly feel her fingertips almost piercing into the palms of her hands. Her eye, open or not, all narrow to the point that her glare reaches demanding death levels. What she sees is a young girl laughing at a joke that the Human obviously just made. While the look of pride on Frisk's face is a charming sight, Muffet finds herself closely examining the girl herself. At least she's examining what she can see. This young lady has decided to keep most of herself hidden behind some sort of bright red cloak. What little features that can be picked out is the fact she has auburn hair, and her skin looks to be as white as snow.

The only other thing that is noticeable is the large dark red ribbon tied into a bow over the area where her neck is. Her facial features remain obscured by the cowl over the girl's face, and the overall cloak makes it impossible to even see what she truly looks like. Reaching up to her own bow-tied ribbon, the arachnid monster tugs on it gently as she scowls. Why would Frisk invite someone like this over? Did that girl help around here, or did she just show up because they did? Without any solid knowledge on what occurred Muffet would have assume that this girl helped out. As much as she may want to she can't just kick out the young girl for no reason. The spider monster's glare goes straight into 'incineration' levels when Frisk's friend leans against them while catching her breath.

No, she can't just kick out the other girl for no reason. Even if she really, really wants to. She must remain a good host. If she isn't, rumors could spread about how she was a terrible person to an innocent girl. The consequences would be too high for such a pitiful act. Especially since Frisk would most likely be angry with her for doing so. So, she'll hold her tongue for the moment, she'll make everyone their tea, and they will all enjoy some pie that Toriel made. Afterwards, she'll give them all a cheerful farewell. Who knows? Maybe she'll find herself making friends with this new person. She's probably is a very nice person. Plus, it'd be good to keep the other girl close.

It'd be easier to eliminate the competition that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I've made Muffet into the deadly jealous type. Eh, I can still see this working in the long run.
> 
> I do hope you've enjoyed this chapter of Spider's Parlor! I felt like I stumbled in the middle of it, but I might have steadied it by the end. Tell me what you think. I would love to know.
> 
> The character being used as Frisk's friend is not an Oc. Or at least, not my Oc. She resides from a fanmade game for Undertale that almost perfectly mimics the actual game. Her fight is grueling no matter which way you take her on, but her no mercy is Undyne the Undying levels of hard. I died against her about the same amount of times I died against Photoshop Flowey.
> 
> I'll give a bit of background to her then you can figure out who she is. This young lady wields a blade in combat and is damn well good with it. Her attacks can split the dialog box into pieces. She also uses some bombs that can be trapped within sections of said box with you to deliver some good damage. In no mercy rounds, she has two royal sentinels to fight by her side. They alternate through colors to deliver harsh attacks that can be hard to avoid, and finally she is the youngest member of the former Royal Guard.
> 
> I hope that helps you figure out who she is. If not, well, I'll tell you next chapter.
> 
> As always, thanks to everyone who reviews, pms, and gives me their opinions. You guys really do help me out.
> 
> Anyways, I need to get going. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	6. Conflicts of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Last chapter we got a better look into Muffet's jealousy, and you could say she was seeing….Red. Before continuing I would like to give credit where it is due: SuperMaster650, thank you for that slightly obvious gem. You shouldn't be sorry.
> 
> Anyways, the greater percentage of reviews for the chapter so far show that people knew who was described last chapter. In fact I would say that percentage is, at this point, one hundred percent. Good job everyone, and thank you for every word of your reviews. I may enjoy talking to each person who reviews through , but some people don't wish to. So I thank them here as well.
> 
> I may have also created a bit of a problem for myself. No one knows what this girl looks like without her cowl. We don't know her race, facial features, or anything else. The best I can come up with is that she is a canine monster given her habits when dealing with sticks. It's kind of adorable.
> 
> I don't believe I have anything else left to say, so let us continue onto the chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale. Toby Fox does, and he has done a damn fine job in his game. I also don't own Undertale Red.

It is surprising how much pressure a teacup can handle. The one in Muffet's middle left hand has miraculously remained intact despite the enormous amount of strength being exerted onto it. Despite the telling sign of lighter knuckles, the young girl has a near flawless mask on of cheerful interest. It may not be a complete façade though. The tale the younger girl is spinning is a rather fascinating one. A fated meeting in a field of floating dandelions, openings above to the surface letting sunlight flood downward to illuminate their battle. From what she can tell, Frisk remained as much as a pacifist as they have always been by trying to strike up a conversation. However, this girl, whose name turned out to be Red, was taken aback by this friendly attitude. In response the girl had started to slice at them.

Basically, it was a normal first meeting for Frisk, yet for the young girl it had been disorienting. She explained that while she did hear of the rumors of the human's merciful side, she didn't think it went that far. When the human had politely greeted her, she chalked it up to them trying to get on her good side. However, after attacking them with a barrage of sword slices she expected their true colors to show. In a way, they did, but not in the way this young girl thought they would. Instead of attacking back her foe decided to ask her about her day. The question threw Red completely off guard as she stared in confusion at the person who asked. Her mind desperately tried to make sense of what the question was for before chalking it up as a distraction. A distraction that obviously worked too.

She immediately got back onto the offensive while demanding that the human stop trying their tricks on her. She rushed him with multiple slashes, yet Frisk had effortlessly dodged each sword swing. Realizing that the assault isn't working she jumped back to keep a fair distance away. Once more, the human refused to strike as they instead decided to ask if the girl wanted to hear about their journey so far. By now, the young lady started to feel insulted. It felt like her enemy wasn't taking her seriously at all. She isn't that bad of a fighter damn it! In an attempt to scare the Human into dealing damage to themselves the sword fighter threw out two giant buzz saws that were designed to travel through patterns. The human saw right through the tactic and avoided them by just staying still causing Red's frustration to build up even further.

"That's when Frisk here told me that they didn't want to fight." As the younger girl continues to weave her tale Muffet takes note of some interesting details about her "I couldn't do anything else but stare at him for saying that!" The girl's energy is certainly something to behold as she animatedly describes everything that happened "I just needed to know what was going through their head, so I demanded to know: What's with you?" An earnest smile is on her face seemingly at all time. It seems that she is more of an impulsive girl than a controlled and refined one. A glance at Frisk makes it clear that they're enjoying the display, if the pleasant smile has anything to say about it. She briefly wonders if they like their companions more like that. The stray thought nearly makes her practiced smile fall a bit, but she manages to keep it in check.

The arachnid girl reminds herself of all the times Frisk chose to visit her little bakery instead of spending time with others "I mean, who just, straight-up, tries to strike up a friendly conversation in the middle of battle?" The human has never shown any signs of favoritism towards anyone "I just couldn't understand what kind of person does that." They have been accommodating to every person who needs their help. As far as she knows, they haven't even remotely disliked anyone that they've met. Their kindness seems to be a part of who they are. It's still as charming as the day she met Frisk.

"I tried desperately to wrap my mind around this, but in the end I couldn't. So, I just decided that it couldn't go on like that." Those words grab onto Muffet's attention as she refocuses on the tale being told "I decided if Frisk didn't want to fight," The air feels thick with tension as the arachnid monster visualizes the fight in her mind's eye. She tries to put herself into the younger girl's shoes.

With a swish of her cloak, Red reveals the Royal Guard symbol on her dark shirt while she points her sabre at her enemy "I'll have to make you." Her own determination shines in her voice as she reveals some of her true power. With one quick horizontal swing, her blade flashes across the area. At first nothing happens as Frisk stares at her in confusion, but that soon changes when the shine of an afterimage strike appears. Caught off guard, the human takes the full brunt of the attack. A large gash is made across their chest with some blood spilling out into the air.

Her foe stumbles back, obviously in immense pain from the strike, yet they still refuse to strike back "You think I haven't heard of you already?" Allowing no time to be wasted the young royal guard slashes once more, but this time the after image hits the ground. The blow causes the area to separate into two sections. Pulling out two more sawblades, she throws one in the closest section and another into the farthest. The twin rotating blades tear up the floor as they follow the patterns on the ground, but this time they stop at the line she made before going to the side. The entirely new pattern forces her enemy to finally put some effort into dodging.

" _A new world has been opened up for us!"_ The human looks up at her while jumping out of the area with the saw blades _"I've never been so excited!"_ A look of recognition dawns on their face as they remember those words been spoken before _"Bark bark arf arf!"_ That makes a small smile grow as they chuckle a little. However, their laughter nearly sets the young girl's blood ablaze with anger. They still don't seem to be taking this seriously. Even with a gash across their chest! What will it take to get them to actually fight her!?

With a growl escaping her lips, Red pulls from her cloak a single bomb before throwing it at her enemy. While her explosive is still in the air, she slashes down vertically in two different spots. The human dashes to the side while the bomb bounced past them, yet they didn't count on the afterimage slash to reflect the dangerous item back to them. Completely unaware of the danger they are in, Frisk stops to clutch the gash across his chest. They looked like they were going to reach into their pocket for something when the bomb explodes. The force of said explosion sends the human toppling forward revealing the scorched back they now have. Amazingly enough they manage to prop themselves up with one hand while reaching into their pocket with the other.

What they pull out makes the young girl pause in sheer confusion. It looks like they pulled out a complete hamburger from their pocket. How could they manage to do that? Their pocket wasn't even bulging out! Yet, the strangest aspect of the food they have is the fact that its buns shines and sparkles with the light coming from above. It's almost as if the thing is made out of glitter and sequin buttons. How could anyone eat such a monstrosity? Apparently the human can since they just dig their teeth into it. They make an effort to eat as quickly as they can, most likely to avoid being attacked off guard; however, they didn't need to worry about that. The young royal guard is too dumbfounded to strike at the moment. To add to the confusion, as they eat their wounds heal up. The gash seals itself completely, and the burn on their back disappears as if it never happened.

Despite being utterly confused, the sight of the food being eaten causes her stomach to growl kind of loudly. The young girl winces slightly as her body reminds her that she skipped breakfast that day in order to trail her target. She tries to ignore her hunger when she notices that her enemy stopped to stare at her. Her cheeks slowly start to feel hotter as she realizes that the human must have heard her stomach growling. Even though she is certain her cowl is hiding most of her face she feels as if they can see her brightening blush easily through the shadows. The thought makes her even more embarrassed. How can she be deemed a threat if she's bested by the sight of mere food!? She needs to get this fight back on track and fast. Quick, she needs to say something that would force the topic back on them!

"Wh-what a bunch of nonsense!" Good start, now drive your point home "YOU'RE nonsense!" And now it sounds completely childish. Great, her cheeks now feel like they are on fire now from her embarrassment. What's worse is the fact that the human seems to be finding some humor from this! Anger builds up as she sees them struggling to conceal their laughter. With her eyes narrowed, Red uses her back leg to kick herself off the ground and towards her enemy. She can see their eyes widening in surprise as she slices through the air at them, yet somehow they manage to jump to the side. They won't escape her wrath that easily though! The young girl chases them down with precise slashes that should have sliced them up into ribbons.

Instead, they infuriatingly dodge every single strike sent at them like they could see it coming "You're a human! You're the last key to our freedom!" Their shoes grind against the dirt slightly as they grind to a halt while they themselves watch her carefully. Their look catches Red even more off-guard than anything else she has experienced against this human. They look genuinely sad at that fact. The grand amount of sorrow nearly forces her to look away, but it was the human that did so first. Their posture, the look on their face, the tightening fists by their sides. Could they really be sorry that they want to live more than help the monsters?

No, it has to be a trick "Y-you can be as much of a sweetheart as you want," Oh, god their eyes look almost depressed by the fact that they can't do both "But it's not going to change anything!" They merely nod in agreement. It's painfully obvious that they already know that. The suddenly pitiful sight nearly makes the royal guard member sheathe her weapon so she can comfort them. Yet, while they have that momentary weakness it also brings a bit of clarity to her mind. During this entire battle, if it could be called that, the human had been slowly making progress on getting on her good side. Despite her best efforts to ignore their already renowned friendly nature, she wants to help them. She wants to root for them. She even wants to be their friend.

This isn't good, her will to fight has already taken quite a few knocks "I-it's not even just anyone that comes your way, is it?" Realizing that she needs to take this up another notch, Red focuses on sheer speed over power as she hopes to weaken rather than finish instantly. With lightning fast slashes her blade cuts a spider-web like pattern through the air. It didn't matter since the human somehow avoided all of her slashes. Still, she didn't give up as she tried once more, and this time she takes off a little bit of her enemy's hair. Not much but it still is an improvement over last time. She'll take what she can get before her fighting spirit vanishes from this unrelenting kindness she is facing against.

"Are you so obsessed with befriending everyone you meet…" Her question trails off for a moment as the human's eyes connects with her, but she still manages to gather herself "That you'll throw your life on the line just to do it!?" The end of her question came out a bit stronger than intended. Damn it, she's becoming more attached to them. She can feel her worry for them building up inside of her. She can't allow this to happen.

As she tries to turn her heart to stone Red throws out two bombs before slashing hard vertically and horizontally. Her strikes are so fast that they seem to happen at nearly the same time, and the afterimages show that. The two slashes appear at the same time in a cross pattern; however, since her opponent now knows what to expect they jump into one section just as the bombs are deflected back by the afterimages. Her explosives just uselessly explode in a different section than the human was in. This was a bit concerning to the young girl. They're learning her moves much quicker than she thought they would. She was hoping that they would take a good amount of hits from some of her moves before they learned of ways to evade the attacks. They would be quick the force to be reckoned with if they would attack back.

Yet, they didn't, and that alone is proving to be dangerous as her determination is being whittled down "Why even bother?" Frisk looked at her in confusion of the question "You're…" Looking a little bit worried, they step towards her with their hand stretched out as if to comfort her "You're just going to get yourself killed!" The exclamation startled her opponent making them stop in their tracks as she sliced the area they are in into three segments. Four more buzz saws quickly rip through the ground as they tear up the place in a new pattern. The alternating saws force the human to back off while they put some real effort into dodging them this time around.

It still didn't matter though when they just escape that part of the area like they did with the other buzz saws "And all those monsters you befriended?" She could feel her personal determination to fight changing into a burning desire to make them see "It'll break their hearts." Make them see what their merciful actions are going to do. They need to understand that not all people can be befriended. Some will just take advantage of those wide-eyed idealists. The young girl doesn't want such a wonderful person to have that be their downfall.

She channels this growing desire into another barrage of lightning fast strikes. Once more they are in a spider web-like pattern, but the strikes come much quicker. They hit harder with a newfound purpose. They manage to nick the human's side causing a bit of panic to echo within the royal guard. She forces it down as she delivers another barrage of slashes with the human barely stumbling out of the way of the entire attack. A sense of relief envelopes her as she sees them alright, but it is followed by a feeling of dread. It seems she may have already lost. Her opponent may not have actually struck her; however, they did strike her desire to harm them. She doesn't even know if she can bring herself to strike them down anymore.

"What's with you…?" Her voice comes out in a whisper as she throws more bombs. As she slices the area into nine segments she wonders how such a person could exist. Someone with such an unrelenting form of mercy, someone with a heart filled with to the brim with kindness, someone who goes so far out of their way to be friends that they lay their life on the line to do so. The world is far too cruel for such a being to exist. Yet, defying all expectations, here they are. A living, breathing creature who has this grand capacity for forgiveness. It really shouldn't be possible. This should all be an act or a trick.

Yet, she can feel that it is not "W-why won't you fight back!?" Even as she charges at him with her blade swiping madly she can feel herself not swinging as hard. How could she even think about hurting someone who has only been kind to her? Despite the fact that her blade is nearly slicing into their skin they still refuse to strike back. It just makes her heart hurt that she is trying to do this. She still forces herself to try though, she can't just give up yet. If only for the fact that they clearly haven't learned the lesson that needs to be taught.

Gritting her teeth, she yells out in desperation "Why won't you fight?!" She forces them back into the area with a cross gouged out from her powerful strikes. Quickly, Red pulls four saw blades out of the ground and throws one into each of the four sections. The deadly spinning blades instantly follow the gouged out lines which forces the human to focus on dodging. Still they manage to avoid getting hurt as they jump out of that section and back into the first section. Pulling together the last scrapes of her fighting spirit, she jumps into that section with her blade ready.

Her voice nearly screeches as she charges forward with her blade ready to dig into their flesh "Why won't you fight back!?" Her slashes are noticeably slow compared to her earlier assaults, but they make up for that in sheer power. Though the lack of speed makes it relatively easier to dodge. Yet, she thinks strategically by trying to force her opponent back into the two still spinning saw blade. Despite her efforts, she fails to hit them once as they jump out into the last open area around the two of them.

In frustration, she quickly slashes out a set of spider web slashes. They easily dodge it. She tries again with a different starting point, yet they still dodge. Finally she starts at the very center of the area and spreads out with her slashes. They managed to dodge it. With a roar of desperate anger, Red splits the area into nine sections before jumping into the very center section. She charges once more in one final desperate attempt to finish what she started. Her slashes are powerful and very fast, but the compensation for this is her accuracy. The human may have to run around in tight circles to dodge her blows, but they still do it with nary a scratch on them. In the end, she's panting hard from her exertion as she raises her blade in a large bluff to shred the area apart even more. Her arm trembles from either exhaustion or her newfound desire to protect this human rather than destroy them.

Her bluff falls apart when she drops to her knees "I…" The trusty sabre that she has used since she joined the guard clatters against the ground when it lands "I HATE this…!" Her head hangs downward as her fingers dig into the dirt below her "I hate this SO MUCH!" Her voice echoes throughout the underground field of dandelions. What now? She obviously can't kill this human now. She's completely lost the desire to do so. If she saw this person dying, she would most likely try to save them instead of waiting to take their soul.

Before she could start going into a spiraling self-creating depression she hears the human ask what's wrong. Wow, even after all the destruction she's caused, as well as the actual damage she's done to them, they still want to help? A weak chuckle escapes her lips as she comes to terms with the fact that Frisk was never putting on an act. They meant it when they said they didn't want to fight. It almost makes her feel even worse since she knows that someone will definitely try to take advantage of them. She couldn't even teach them the truth of the world from her battle. Yet, at the same time another part of her is glad she couldn't. This pure hearted person would continue on as they traverse the Underground, making friends with everyone.

Muffet's eyes suddenly focuses as she realizes she may have gotten too far invested with envisioning the tale being told "-at least the second part was true." It's amazing how much information you can glean about a person from a simple retelling "So, I decided to tell them about my family, and what they thought of them" That energetic grin certainly isn't a front, but behind it lies a far more mature mind than she first thought "I couldn't help but tell them about my own fears about what could happen to them." She could easily see a kin-ship forming between Frisk and this girl "I wanted so desperately to just help them." Yet, at the same time she couldn't find herself being cross with this idea.

She may have felt some form of resentment at the beginning of the tale being told. She may have even been a touch jealous, for strictly platonic reasons of course, but now? After her understanding of this girl has been expanded? Those negative emotions are gone. This young lady merely wanted to do something every monster thought was right, and she got convinced otherwise because of Frisk's kind nature. From their merciful actions sparked a powerful friendship. The spider girl could see a similar thing happening to her if she had fought the Human. So, why should she feel any malice against Red if the girl is just a good friend? Maybe, she could even be her friend in the future. The idea certainly seems pleasant. Of course, she will still have to keep an eye on her, not in any bad way though.

It's just that the competition still needs to be watched after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah! One entire Red based chapter! I actually did an interesting thing here about the fighting you have read. I opened up Undertale Red and played through the pacifist route. Every action you see here? I did that in the game beside the Word Document. I just added extra details to make it a more in-depth look into the mind of Red with a little expansion on Muffet.
> 
> That also gave me an idea…. A challenge idea!
> 
> I hereby decree a challenge! It had come to my attention that many are upset that Red isn't in more Fanfics, well you guys could change that! My challenge is simple: Pull up Undertale Red, play either genocide or pacifist then write a story based on your actions and what you had to put up with! If you were forced to reset, add that as an extra layer to your story. Make Red's déjà vu part of the story.
> 
> I know that many people want a certain character or pairing to show up more in stories, but unless you put the effort to create your own, you'd never get exactly what you want. Think of this challenge as a starting gate way to the writing world of Fanfiction. I just ask that if you do make a story based on this challenge, Pm me so I can read it.
> 
> I hope people do like this idea. I also hope people enjoyed this chapter! As always please tell me what you liked, what you disliked, any criticism, etc. It always helps in one way or another. Thank you guys once again for all of the reviews given so far, and I hope that you'll come back next time!
> 
> Speaking of which, I have to go now! See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWIngs1203~


	7. Walk in Autumn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Last chapter was basically a written down version of the Red fan made fight with extra details to give more characterization! Now, we shall continue onward with the actual story. This chapter may freak you out, or chill you to the bones. So, anyone who doesn't want that should just read on anyways!
> 
> Seriously, I always have only a vague idea for these things. I then write until said vague idea comes into fruition. That is the secret to my writing. It might also explain why my stories rarely ever turn out well.
> 
> Oh well.
> 
> Oh, and one of the guests who reviewed claimed that Red isn't a Canine Monster, but rather she is humanoid. Welp, I won't say your wrong, and I won't say your right. We've seen the Canine Squad in some awfully human-like forms as you met them. However, there is a chance that she did get her dog-like personality traits because she was with the Canine Squad. Plus, no one but her creator knows what she truly looks like, so you could be right, I could be right, or neither of us are. We shall never know.
> 
> Dislcaimer: I don't own Undertale or Undertale Red. Both are too well made for me to have any part in it.

Despite an internally rocky start, Muffet is quickly finding herself getting used to the more energetic mood that Red is setting. It is surprisingly a nice change of pace compared to her controlled, tightly scheduled days. She simply has too much to do with her Bakery. Cleaning, cooking, finance maintenance, and keeping careful watch over her stock is just some of the things that keep her busy. Speaking of which, she does need to restock on quite a few things. Now that she thinks about it, isn't that the reason she choose to have a half day instead of a full working day? A frown almost forms on her lips, but she manages to hold it back. The young girl couldn't just throw them out of her home so suddenly. That would be extremely rude, as well as bad for her relationship with them.

Perhaps, she could just go get the ingredients herself while they watch the place. It's not a terrible idea considering she trusts at least two of them enough to do so. Still, there is that third guest she is entertaining. The young girl may respect the younger female more, but that doesn't equal trust. Trust needs to be born through interactions and experiences together. The thought creates an idea in her mind. This could be a rather good opportunity. She could use this as an excuse to learn more about her competit- possible future friend. With the smile on her lips growing slightly bigger she sets down her teacup onto the counter in front of her. Her eyes shifts over to see what time it is before making a slight gasp to draw everyone's attention.

"Oh my, is it that late already?" She makes a slight show out of getting up and picking up her own dishes "I completely forgot!" With hurried steps she goes into the kitchen to place her cup into the sink. The young girl quickly returns to the front of the bakery to grab the tea pot before returning back to the kitchen. With practiced ease she quickly washes the two dishes while reaching down with her lower arms for a dish towel. As she turns off the hot water with her upper left arm, her middle arms dries off the tea pot while her lower arms dries off her cup. As she walks back to the front she opens the cupboard that the two go in before putting them away without breaking her stride.

Out of the corners of her five eyes she sees her guests sharing confused looks "Muffet, what did you forget?" She hides a small smile as Toriel asks the question. Purposely, the young arachnid monster doesn't answer at first as she picks up a custom violet jacket that she sewed herself. The only reason the article is unique is because of the six sleeves that will cover her extra arms. Well, that and the fact the interior of the jacket is laced with some fluff she picked up from the store. Sheep's wool turned out to be surprisingly comfortable to the little monster.

She lets out a sigh that is only slightly emphasised "I made today a half-day so I could restock my bakery, but with my unforeseen nap it'll be pitch black by the time I get back." Her voice is laced with a bit of actual worry as she laces her left arms through her sleeves. People tend to be more bold with their 'ideals' in the cover of night, especially those who don't believe monsters have the same rights as humans. It doesn't really surprise her though. All cowards only act on their darkest desires when the day is just as dark. She could take care of herself well enough on the way there, but when she's held down with enough ingredients to stock a pantry? Maybe she really does need someone to help her.

"It would be too dangerous for you to go alone!" Muffet pauses a moment as she hears that. She was expecting them to be said, but she didn't think that Frisk would be the one to sound it. At least, she never thought they would raise their voice to sound it. It was a little bit heartwarming to see that the human cares so much. They probably feel that way about everyone, but still, it's the thought that helps wins a girl's heart. Figuratively speaking of course. Whoever they do show their affections to will be quite the lucky person.

Regardless of that, all she needs to do now is suggest for Red, "I'll go with you." To go with- did they just offer to come with her? Well, not really much of an offer really. It sounded more like an absolute statement. The young girl turns towards the human sharply with slightly wide eyes. It was unintentional but the two of them lock eyes. The depths of their determination are certainly shining through brightly. Now, that is a way to make a girl feel special. Their locked gazes quickly get a bit too intense for Muffet as she feels heat rising in her cheeks. She averts her eyes by looking over at an equally surprised Toriel.

Yet, her surprise seems to be quickly fading as it is replaced to a mixture of worry and concern. Strangely, is almost looked like there was a bit of excitement as well as amusement glittering in her eyes as well, but that couldn't be right. In the short time the spider girl had conversed with her former queen it had become abundantly clear that she was a smothering type. That became no more apparent when she had taken it upon herself to personally slice, judge, and check the temperature of the slice of pie the human recieved. It was a bit amusing to see them blush slightly in embarrassment, but they smiled through it anyways. So, why would she have any other notion other than stopping her charge from-

"Do be careful Frisk," The young girl's mind grinds to a halt as she hears that "If anything happens call either myself or Sans." She's allowing this!? There could be people out there who would try to kill Muffet just because she was born! If they saw young Frisk with her they could try to kill them just because they were _walking_ beside her. It doesn't help that the human is a steadfast pacifist. They would never even consider fighting back. There is a very good possibility that she wouldn't be able to defend her friend as well as herself from that kind of trouble. That's it, time to abort this plan before something terrible happens on her watch.

Interrupting her frantic thoughts is the sensation of a warm and comforting hand in her own. Blinking in surprise, she notices that Frisk had already put on his hoodie, the one she made them no less, and is smiling at her. Glancing downward she sees his hand gently holding her middle right hand. The simple contact felt rather nice. She could already feel the heat in her cheeks threatening to triple, and she can barely manage to keep her blood from completely flooding towards her face. Looking back up at that reassuring smile calms down her worries in mere moments. Why was she so worried about this? The young girl already knows that she would lay her Soul on the line to keep Frisk alive. If anything, she knows that they will be fine. Maybe not herself, but certainly them.

She must have spaced out quite a bit as muffled words reaches her ears. Something was being said, but her mind was a bit too short circuited to register them. All the girl could notice is the fact that her companion nods their head before gently leading them out the door. She may have remained dumbstruck if the cold didn't shock her mind into working once more. Almost immediately, she finds herself shivering from the chilled autumn air. It is a common fact that the cold is very deadly to all arachnids. After all, they could mostly be find inside, if at all, during the colder seasons. Since Muffet is a spider monster the cold isn't deadly to her, but the cold still remains her mortal enemy. Too long in a place that isn't a decent temperature threatens to weaken her greatly. It is unfortunate, but she's even more susceptible to things like hyperthermia.

In an attempt to keep her body warm, the young girl immediately zips up her jacket while snuggling into the warm fluff inside. At times like this, she nearly curses herself for not having the foresight to make a hood for her coat. However, she is surprised to find that her hand is still feels kind of toasty with the human holding onto it. She certainly wouldn't mind having them hold it the entire way to the store, but she also doesn't want people to get the wrong idea. People are always gossiping. They would almost certainly get the idea that they might be 'in love' or something like that. An idea like that would make Frisk an even bigger target to monster haters as a sympathizer. It is rather unfortunate that humanity hasn't quite learned to accept those different than their own.

Reluctantly, Muffet untangles her hand from her companion before putting it in her pocket to stay warm "The store I shop at is this way." Not wanting to have any of her arms exposed to the unforgiving temperatures, she gestures with her head to the left. A confirming nod from the human and they're on their way to the store. If anything was redeemable about this time of year is the beautiful view. The year is just far enough into autumn that the trees have shifted from deep greens to the vibrant colors of yellow, orange, and red. When the wind gently rushes through the air the shifting leaves give people a show of their stubborn desire to remain where they are. The weakened few that do fall float down gently in an aerial dance with their brethren.

When they do hit the ground they just await the inevitable sensation of crunching delightfully under the shoes of traversing people. Some people may view fall as the season of dying, but the spider monster can't help marveling at the beautiful sights. True, she's partial to the season of renewal; however, it is impossible to deny that this season should remind all that death is a part of living. It allows a new life to take place after another. If one would think about it, they could find some truth to life itself through these small instances. Muffet can't help but smile at the surprisingly deep thoughts she is thinking at the moment. Really, she should be picking up the pace in order to reach their destination soon. So why isn't she? It couldn't only be the sights.

A gentle bump against her side from her companion gets her attention. Curiously looking at her friend, she finds that they're smiling rather serenely. Their smiling image is nice, but she looks back in front of her. The bump must have been an accident. Back to the thought at hand, so why is she slowing down now? The last time she went shopping she was in much more of a hurry. The sight was equally as beautiful as now. So, why would she be walking as slowly as she is? The only difference from then and now is the fact that she has someone to walk with. A frown threatens to form on her lips as she considers this. Could Frisk be that much of a distraction to her? Is their mere presence making her priorities switch arou-

Another bump startles her out of her thoughts again. Her eyes blink as her focus reforms on her surroundings. A glance to her side and she see the human still having that serene look on their face. Probably was another accident. Yet, when her eyes look back in front of her she immediately gets bumped into again. Her eyes dart back to her companion before narrowing. The timing of that one was too perfect to be an accident. This time she focuses on their facial features and studies them- although she avoids looking at their eyes on purpose. No need to get lost in them after all. Now lets see, perfectly relaxed, no tensed muscles anywhere, no crease lines around main facial features, no- hold on a second. The corners of their mouth have a few too many lines to be just smiling.

Frankly, it looks like they are trying to suppress a larger grin. The young girl nearly grins herself when she catches on to what the human is doing. However, she pretends to snuggle her lower face into her jacket to hide it. So, that's how they want to play huh? She can easily play this game. Her eyes return to looking in front of her while she quickly molds her grin into a content smile. She pulls her lower face out of her coat while continuing to walk forward. However, she keeps a bit more focus on her peripheral vision. Sure enough, she catches Frisk glancing over at her while his smile grows a bit. Patiently waiting, the young arachnid bides her time for a few moments until they make the move to bump into her again. However, the instant they start moving to the side she stops in her stride while pretending to yawn.

Catching a glimpse of the surprised look on their face was very amusing as they stumble to the side "Sorry for stopping dearie, but I'm afraid I'm still a bit tired." To add onto the moment she pretends to just have noticed him steadying his footing "Are you alright? Surely someone who had traversed the entire Underground didn't trip on something." It was immensely satisfying to see her companion narrow their eyes at her slightly, but it was even better when they break out in a grin. She couldn't hold her feigned surprise much longer as she starts to giggle at their antics. Then it became heavenly as she hears Frisk's voice come out in beautiful laughter.

The farthest extent of laughter she has ever been able to draw out of the human was a few chuckles when she made a few spider related puns. The young girl didn't exactly have the capacity of joking that their comedic skeleton friend had. She was certain that Sans had already told every single spider based joke when referring to her, so her limited arsenal of joking most likely had already been heard. Plus, the strict nature of running a business kind of kills the creative juices when it comes to joking. So, when she heard the smooth voice of her companion start to laugh in a surprisingly deep rumbling range captivated her. The child is barely a pre-teen and yet they have the voice of a casanova smooth talker. One can only wonder what they'll sound like after puberty hits.

The sound of their laughter and the sight of their merriment brings quite a big smile on her lips. The worries she had back in her bakery as well as the contemplative thoughts she was analyzing a minute ago just vanishes. This wonderful moment takes their place, and she certainly wouldn't have it any other way. It was these instances of their friendly relationship that warms her heart. They remind her of the person who could have just passed by her little stand to continue their journey, but instead they gathered so much gold that they could have bought a truly amazing item. With her smile taking permanent residence on her lips, she gently takes their hand to get the two of them back on their way.

Frisk's laughter echos pleasantly in her ears, their hand warms her own delightfully, her cheeks are flushing slightly from the contact. The sun is setting over the horizon while shining a breathtaking light of orange through the sky while a deep red right over the horizon's line. A few clouds are in front of the dying evening casting long shadows across the expanse above. A slightly stronger rush of wind sends a new flurry of leaves floating to the ground while ruffling her jacket. As they walk down the sidewalk the two of them playfully bump into each other sparking a new round of laughter. The few people walking around at the time smile fondly at the sight as they give a respectful distance from them.

The scene couldn't have been more perfect if she designed it herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for nice, heart warming scenes! After noticing that people didn't really make their opinions of the last chapter known, other than a few joking comments and one confused reader, I decided to take the attention back onto Frisk and Muffet.
> 
> Honestly, it was going to be about Muffet getting to know Red. Maybe if I waited longer I would have gotten more feedback, but my paranoia won out. You can tell me if you wanted more Red if you want, but I would really love to know what you thought about this chapter! Also, I would love to know that the last chapter didn't deter everyone from reading the story.
> 
> Overall, I'm happy about how this chapter turned out. It may have a few rough spots here and there, and it may be shorter than the other chapters. Oh well, it's quality over quantity right?
> 
> That's my excuse to make me feel better.
> 
> Anyways, I need to go now. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	8. Shopping Incidents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I would like to inform you that I'm starting to write this chapter right after finishing the last one. I feel a bit inspired at the moment. Okay, I just want to get a decent head-start.
> 
> So, I don't know how everyone took the last chapter. I don't know if it was completely flawed, I don't know if everyone hated, I don't know if someone flamed it so much that it sent me into a spiraling depression.
> 
> Since I lack the knowledge of those things, I can't give anyone a call out unless I do that in the Author notes at the bottom of the chapter.
> 
> Well, nothing else to say. Let's start.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. That sheer level of creative foresight is something I lack.

With the speed that the two had walked at, what should have taken ten minutes stretched out to twenty-five. The sun was already setting in the distance, but it's leaving a dazzling expanse of bright orange as a final gift. The arachnid monster pauses for a moment to take in the last remnant of daylight before the ever growing cold forced her to lead them inside. Opening the door to the quaint shop allows cold air to flow into the building while forcing out the warm. She wastes no time hurrying inside while Frisk closes the door behind them. The immensely warmer interior of the store threatens to make the young girl drowsy, but she starts walking to prevent that.

When she hears footsteps falling in line with her own she knows her companion is following behind her. She leads them over to the shopping carts arrangements before looking over the choice. Unlike many other stores, shopping centers, and shops the owner of the store was courteous enough to realize that monster species vary greatly in sizes. With this revelation, they had custom order multiple different sized carts to making shopping easier on those who are too small or big for regular shopping carts. It was a very simple yet kind act that draws in more people for the relative ease of shopping. The act also made a statement that causes some trouble from anti-monster groups: monsterkind and humanity are equal in this store.

That statement never fails to bring a bit of a smile on Muffet's lips when she pulls out a perfectly sized shopping cart. It also allowed the young girl to overlook the slightly larger prices that the store has to give in order to repair the place. Unfortunately, there has been many assaults on the building as people try to scare the owners into changing their policy or leaving. Such barbaric actions only seem to bolster the monster community into pitching in to help. The young girl herself has considered making a partnership with the store. For a discounted price, she would send them baked goods for them to sell at a slightly higher price than her own. Not everyone would go for it, but it's hard to beat convenience at times.

Still, she would need to make her own bakery a bit more secure in its position before making the offer. With the realization that she's getting off track, she returns her attention to getting what she needs. Mentally, she goes over the items that she would need. For just the basics she would need some dry yeast, olive oil, salt, and flour. She also needs some maple syrup, unsalted butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and some milk. The arachnid monster stops and scans the aisles while also revisiting her idea of croissants with some special sauces. Honestly, calling this place a quaint store is a bit of an understatement. It was more of a mini shopping center, but somehow it still retained that quaint feel to it.

How the owners managed that is beyond her. It doesn't matter anyways, the feeling just makes her more at home here anyways. Quickly, she devises a general plan to make this trip a smoother experience. In her mind, she divides the actually needed ingredients between the two of them. With the ingredients that she is certain that she needs being split into five for each of them the young girl is certain that this entire thing would take up to twelve minutes at max. With no distractions on the way back, they could be at the bakery in twenty-two minutes.

"Frisk, I need you to get cocoa powder, salt, flour, confectioner's sugar, and unsalted butter," Glancing back to look at the human, the young girl sees them muttering the ingredients to themselves before nodding to her "Good. After you gather that, meet me near the milk section." Frisk gives a reassuring smile before going off to search for what they have been tasked to find. Without wasting a moment, Muffet follows the example as she pushes her cart forward. It isn't long before she gets to the dairy section.

With her experience of baking and finance work, it takes maybe half a minute for her to choose between brand, percentage, and overall cost. Carefully maneuvering six jugs of milk in all of her hands is a bit taxing for her, but she quickly organizes them inside her cart. As she was going to leave the section a strange sight for most caught her eye. In an aisle just past her own, a large sign labeled _Ghost Products_ stands out. Yet, what caught her eye was not the aisle name but rather the being in the aisle. The being looked like a floating sheet with two large eye cut outs that have large white eyes in them. Most people who believe that this thing is just a prank to play on some poor children, yet Muffet knew better than that.

"Napster dear?" Calling out to the lone being usually catches his attention "Napster, is that you?" A smile grows on the young lady's lips as she temporarily leaves her cart to converse with her old companion. What most may not realize is that the spider monster and bed-sheet ghost have known each other for quite some time. When Muffet first went to the ruins to check up on the poor spiders that were trapped there, she nearly stepped on the ectoplasmic being's face. It took a little bit of coaxing, as well as a lot of reassuring, but she managed to convince the guy that he wasn't trash for around two minutes.

It was a ground breaking two minutes for him "Oh….hello Muffet. How are you?" Ever the courteous ghost it seems. He never seems to change. The poor ghost always seems to be patient with others while thinking of himself as the source of all issues. It can get a bit sad when it is painfully obvious that he did nothing wrong at all, even more so when some individuals take advantage of his timid nature. Then again, those people somehow always end up on Mettaton's show before being publicly humiliated in extreme ways. One could always assume its karma though.

"I'm fine dearie!" It's impossible for her smile not to grow as she thinks about the walk over "I'm here with Frisk." It's also impossible to not notice the look of concentration on Napsterblook's visual as he seems to be trying to place that name "The human that broke the barrier?" A look of realization dawns on the ghost's face before he starts looking down. He seems to be getting depressed again. A sad sigh escapes the spider monster as she sees her old friend beat himself up mentally. He really does need to have someone to confine in, or at least a therapist to help the guy out. Wait, didn't he once speak about a cousin that was always there for him?

The thought is pushed aside as she tries to rest her top left hand on his head "I forgot their name….again…" The ectoplasmic being floats closer to the ground as her hand passes through his skull "I promised I wouldn't." Oh no. The sight of him is starting to look a lot like a kicked puppy whimpering in the corner. It's both so extremely saddening yet somehow slightly adorable! She can't let this continue on or else she'll be spending hours just cheering him up, and while she wouldn't mind that, she does need to get home soon. However, her mind is coming up blank on ways to comfort him.

"Hey, why are you looking so down in the dumps?" A familiar deep voice catches the two of them off guard. While Napsterblook barely perks up at the voice, the arachnid girl immediately looks over her shoulder to see Sans standing there with his own shopping cart. Hold on, is his cart completely filled up with Pasta and tomato products? With Ketchup being the most plentiful in there? All five of her eyes blink one after another as she stares at the sight in confusion. She knows that skeletons don't really need anything to eat in order to survive, but who only buys dry noodles and different tomato-based items. She should really get him and his brother to at least try her baked goods.

"What's wrong kid? You look like you've seen a ghost." The semi-related pun snaps the girl out of her increasingly random thoughts. She mentally berates herself as she realizes that she's been getting much more distracted than normally lately. If her business, survival of the underground, and small combat experience has taught her anything it is that one must always be aware of what's going on around them. She always needs to know if someone is going to try something in her shop, or if they're going to try and swindle her with fake bills- which never works. She also knows just how dangerous things can get, so why can't she seem to keep her focus?

Like right now since she's doing it again "What's with that look?" Again she blinks as she looks over at the short skeleton while noting his right eye more open than the other "Is you're web of thoughts spread too far?" Web of thoughts? Is that even a saying, or did he just make that up specifically to make a pun? With a shake of her head, Muffet clears her mind of those random distracting thoughts. With a clear mind she focuses completely on the situation at hand. If Sans is willing to help, the two of them could probably cheer up Napsterblook rather easily.

"Sorry Sans, but Napsterblook here is feeling down again." While his smile is basically stuck on his face, Sans does express some concern as his eyes lower down to half-lid "You see, he forgot Frisk's name and now he's beating himself up for it." At that, the skeleton's eyes close completely while he nods as if he understands completely. Which he very well might considering the amount of times he's referred to the human as 'kid'. Then again, he does that with almost everyone younger than him. The bony being must like giving out nicknames.

She's suddenly startled when the skeleton is directly beside her "Don't worry," How does such a lazy bag of bones move so quickly? "I've got this." She can't help but eye him carefully as he walks passed her to the saddened ghost "After all, I have a skele-ton of jokes to use about ghosts." The overused pun may not have gotten her to laugh, but a fond smile does tugs at the sides of her lips "So, just continue shopping Little Miss Muffet." That one does make her crack a grin. She didn't really understand it at first until Frisk had brought over a book of nursery rhymes that have been turned into stories. It's a little strange how Little Miss Muffet does reflect her a bit.

Reassured that Sans would be able to help Napster, the young girl starts towards her cart "Oh, and Frisk is just a couple of aisles away." She pauses at that information before continuing to her shopping cart. Is Frisk really just a few aisles away? Curiosity quickly begins to gnaw at her mind. Well, a quick peak wouldn't really affect anything. Turning her cart around, she explores nearby aisles. In the bread aisle there was only some red head with hair spikey enough to challenge some anime character and a blonde woman with two strands of hair sticking up like antennas. They seem to be together if their easy bantering was anything to go by. Muffet walks past them while hearing them call each other 'spark plug' and 'flame head'.

Such strange people.

The next aisle is the candy aisle. A glance into it reveals a child with a cloak much like red has. Though, this cloak seems to have gone through some trying times though as the ends of it is in tatters. The sight alone makes the talented seamstress cringe slightly, yet she did have to admit that it looked uniquely good on the young one. With the cowl up, she couldn't even tell if the youth is male or female. She would have continued to examine this person, but the youth somehow seemed to sense her stare as they turned their head slightly. The young arachnid monster is taken aback by how much fear and caution is in those muddied emerald eyes. It was simply impossible not to feel worried for this child. Yet, before she could do anything the young human backed away. Was this young child scared of her?

"Don't worry." The sudden sound of a male's voice startles the spider girl greatly as she immediately looks behind her "She's just really shy." All five eyes blink at once as she stares at the same teen garbed in a black jacket that gave her one hundred dollars for her doughnuts "Rose, could you come here?" Rose? Her ears catch the sound of hurried footsteps before the young child comes into the very bottom of her line of sight. She can only watch as the teen crouches down before taking the small girl into his arms. The small cowl moves away enough to reveal the pale skin of the child as well as her light brown hair.

Again, this feeling of concern grows inside her as she sees something to constant hesitation in those eyes "I'm sorry if she offended you by her reluctance, but she hasn't had the greatest past." That doesn't sound good at all "Her parents disappeared quite some time ago, and her grandmother, the only other family she had, was killed in an unfortunate… dog accident." Now her sympathy is taking off as well as her sorrow for the little girl "Her last caretakers also were not the best." How much torture did this young child go through? The arachnid girl's eyes widens as the child in the teen's hands gets a frightened look.

Oh god, she has the look of someone who is reliving parts of a bloody war "They kept her isolated, beat her, and played with her fear of big dogs." If Muffet ever found out who did that to this innocent child, she would go on a rampage of vengeance "However, she now lives with my extended family and myself." The teen gets a small sad smile on his face as the girl in his arms buries her face into his shoulder "We're slowly showing her that some dogs are not animals to be feared, and we always try to make sure she's alright." At least this girl is getting the love and help she needs now. Although, maybe there is something that the arachnid girl could do to help out. Her own pet isn't quite a dog, so maybe that would help the child adjust to bigger animals.

"Dearie, if I may ask, where do you two live? I may be able to help the little one." At first she gets a raised eyebrow from the teen as he examines her. For some reason, his gaze seems to be harder than a forged blade. In the back of her mind, her thoughts whisper that it's likely because the boy is protective of the girl in his arms. That thought only reinforces the want to help. He's shown quite the thing of kindness for her bakery, so why not return the favor? That way she could 'work' off the change that he should of got back while helping this poor child. Fortunately, it seems she would get the chance as the boy's gaze softens while he gains a slight smile.

"If you really can, that would be great." Shifting the child so she rests more in his right arm, he pulls out a card before handing it to her "That's where we live, but it can be a bit of a pain to find for new visitors." The spider girl takes the card with her upper right hand while listening "I think you just need to know that our home is a bit of a distance away from the city. Just follow the third dirt road to the left until you reach the gates." Her mind repeats the information several times in order to truly memorize it before nodding. She'll do whatever she can to help this tortured soul, and her efforts already seem to have a positive effect. Rose pulls herself away from the teen's shoulders slightly to look at Muffet with a small, timid smile.

"T-thank you for trying to help me." The young child's voice seems just as small as her stature. The small stutter in the child's voice nearly makes the arachnid's heart break in sorrow, but she holds herself together while she gently pats the girl's head. She may have to sacrifice the only free day she has, but she would help this child. It's strange, but she feels like the girl in front of her came from somewhere like she did. A place that isolated people from the outside world, a place that seemed giant at first but felt smaller as time continued to advance. Perhaps, that is why she feels the need to help this precious girl. She's willing to bet everyone she knows would want to as well. Monsters just happen to be strange like that.

After waving goodbye to the two humans, she continues down the aisles while her mind is flooded with thoughts. She would have to change her schedule around a bit, the preparation for this task would force her to sacrifice some her sleep, and she would have to find a ride to get to their home. Glancing down at the card given to her she sees that it only contains an address and a phone number. There isn't even a name that could be associated with those two, but that doesn't matter to her right now. The more important question is, what kind of person could do that to a small child who is probably just around the age of six!? The slang definition, that humans made, for monsters doesn't even get close to the level of cruelty that child has likely gone through.

Now, demons seems to be a in the ballpark for that. The hands gripping the handle of her shopping cart tighten their hold until the skin around her knuckles are a pale violet. The arachnid girl had heard tales of how cruel humans could be, but for them to do that to their youngest kind? It's just hard to accept. Those kind of actions should be unthinkable, they should be impossible to commit. Has mankind's sense of morality weakened while monsterkind was trapped? Her stomach twists up into knots at the thought. Legends did say that humans are prone to great levels of violence and cruelty, yet her encounter with Frisk made her think that maybe the stories passed down through time were wrong. She hoped that the despicable humans that crave conflict would be the minority.

Her eyes were opened slightly when those people defaced her bakery. Yet, she thought they were just troubled youths. Then the attempted robbery occurred a few days after she dealt with the hooligans. She considered them desperate people who needed the money to survive. Still, she began to notice the way people referred to her as the 'arachnid child', 'spider monster', and 'insect off-spring'. It did become clear to her that humanity has quite a bit of prejudice against all monsters. Still, even though those nicknames are technically true, the more they were said to her the more it hurt her inside. It seems that those who are open-minded and kind are not the majority. No, they are the minority.

One small comforting thought echoes in her mind as she approaches the kitchen utensil aisle. At least she's friends with someone as kind hearted as Frisk. They would never do anything to harm anyone. Despite the fact that her realization made a painfully empty void grow in her chest, that thought soothes the unwanted sensation. She smiles slightly as she glances down the aisle. Her distracted mind almost ignores what she was seeing as she started to continue forward, but once it really registers her eyes snap back to the sight before her. The muscles in her body begin to tense up, her eyes grow wider, and her skin becomes uncomfortably clammy as she starts to sweat. Something about this just doesn't sit well with her.

Down the aisle is Frisk, who seems to be enamored with the knife in their hand. The distant look in their eye is disorienting. The knife's point is gently pressed into their pointer finger as they slowly swivel the cooking tool. The blade shines with reflected light in a simply menacing way. Everything about this scene just seem wrong. The suddenly conflicted girl's mind jams as it refuses to accept the vision she is seeing. For a mere instant Frisk's jacket and shirt combo is replaced with a green and yellow sweater. A cold shiver goes down her spine as she starts to feel light headed. Why does it feel like she is in danger? Why does she feel so afraid?

Why is she suddenly terrified of Frisk?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…. I have to admit that I'm sick right now. I am not in the best condition, and I will openly admit that this may not have been written that well and some ideas put in may not be the best. I am sorry about that. Oh, and I've been distracted by watching all of Kill la Kill again.
> 
> There are some other things I would like to address: First off, some people may not like the interaction that happened between the teen, Muffet, and young child. They may feel that it's taking away from the main focus of Muffet and Frisk. I would like to counter with a simple fact: All people in Undertale, enemy or otherwise, has always felt like their own people. They have personality traits, interests, and desires of their own. If I didn't give that kind of thing to the other people around Muffet/Frisk, then it wouldn't be like Undertale.
> 
> That being said, if it is hated so much that people complain immensely, I may try to re-write it. However, doing so will take away some character from Muffet. The scene did show her selfless side after all. I will also leave the idea of Muffet going to help the child up to you people. Tell me what you think.
> 
> Next thing to address: I've been getting even more mixed notes about Red. Some people say that they don't want her in the story at all, one person even complained that the story would turn into a love triangle, others claim that they would love her in the story. I'm a bit torn on this. I will admit that Red most likely will come back to the story sooner or later, but how big of a role she has is based on how people will receive her. Whether or not you mean to, you're reactions are going to affect my writing. I'm a very paranoid guy after all.
> 
> Also, the biggest complaint about Red is the fact she's an Oc. I would like to point out that every background character is technically an Oc. The small girl Muffet interacted with? Oc. The couple in the bread aisle? Oc. The teen she conversed with? Oc.
> 
> I didn't hear any complaints about those people in earlier chapters.
> 
> Regardless, I would love it if you guys would review, comment, favorite, or follow this story! Especially comment/review. It always helps me decide on what to do next when I get feedback. Also, I would just like to celebrate on the fact that this story has the most genuine reviews out of all of my stories! In such a short amount of time too.
> 
> Anyways, I need to get going. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	9. Dangerous Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all. I'm still not sure about my last chapter, so I'll try to write this one to fit any form of change I may make to the last one. In other words, leaving the store completely! Good thing too. Not much else that could be done there.
> 
> I've gotten some positive reviews on the last chapter anyways- except for a partially neutral one that said I was doing well but would most likely stop reading it.
> 
> Let's just get into this.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. Simple as that.

Muffet's four lower arms feels greatly weighed down from the multiple bags she's carrying. The twin bags on each strains her lightly muscled arms. Every time she walks back from the store, she has always contemplates doing something to strengthen her body, yet her schedule wouldn't allow something like that. Even with her one free day, she just rests up her body so it can take the barrage of the next week. With the sheer amount of ingredients she needed to stock up on, the young girl would have been completely drained by the time she got back to her beloved bakery. However, she was spared that by having Frisk take half the bags. The human was rather strong for someone their age. Their arms aren't carrying the non-fragile ingredients with ease, but they're showing little signs of a struggle.

Really, their presence with her really is a blessing. They've helped her find what she needed, carefully bagged her items with the most delicate touch, and they're carrying half of the groceries. The slight smile on her face twitches upward just a touch before almost falling. Yet, at the same time it seems that it is almost a burden. The image of them handling that knife back at the store with such care. The look on their face suggested a distant memory or vivid day dream. The fond glint in their eyes was just so unsettling to see. A gentle person like Frisk shouldn't have been looking at the potential murder weapon like that.

"Is something wrong Muffet?" The girl nearly jumped out of her skin as she is torn from her thoughts. She glanced over at her companion. The frown marring their normally positive outlook looked almost as wrong as the chilling expression they had back in the utility aisle. Still, this is much nicer in comparison. She makes an effort to smile a little in order to reassure them. After all, it would be wrong to worry them over what may have just been her imagination.

"I'm fine dearie." They don't look like they believe that at all, but who could blame them after seeing her completely wide-eyed and frozen staring at them "Do you doubt me Frisk?~" Even her normally playful tone seems tinged with some hidden fear. Why is she still so apprehensive around them? It was just a trick of the mind. A remnant of her nightmare imposing itself onto her vision. The shifting colors of the human's attire from purple and blue to green and yellow is even happening right now. It's just a sign that she needs to go home and get some more rest. After drinking some calming tea. Maybe also spending some time with her Cupcake Spider in her sleeping webbing. She may also want to have some of her family beside her as well.

Her companion's deepening frown just shows that they really do doubt what she is saying "Muffet, you know that you can tell me what's wrong right?" Their voice even seems to change a bit when they switch clothing colors. It doesn't sound as smooth as it usually does, but rather it sounds more distorted for some reason. Now she's having auditory hallucinations? She's been working herself far too hard. Mentally, the young arachnid starts to think of people she could possibly hire to help out in her bakery. If she truly needs more rest, then she would need someone she could trust wholeheartedly to watch after her home/store. Unfortunately, the only person she trusts on that kind of level would be Frisk themselves, and they have school, work, and other things to go to.

Well, at least the hallucination version of Frisk looks just as concerned as the real version "Nothing is wrong dearie." Nothing is wrong with them at least "I'm just still a bit tired. My short rest wasn't really enough." God, why does this have to happen today? The two of them had a wonderful time together on their walk to the store. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and she was happy to share it with them. Well, she was also just happy to get the chance to share it with them. The human is has their own trials and tribulation to go through.

Their walk back could have been just as wonderful! Even though it is much colder than before, the night sky is completely clear. The entire expanse of the sky is glittering with the light of billions of stars. The moon is even full as it guides them back to her home. True, there is no rustling wind going through the autumn leaves, but instead there could have been a peaceful silence that puts them at ease. With what the young girl is experiencing though, she can't focus on the beautiful lights. She's more aware of the darkness that is cloaking everything. The chill of the night air feels like its piercing straight through her jacket, and the silence is completely unnerving. She's walking home with her friend not a merciless killer! Why is she feeling like this?

At least the human looks like their accepting her excuse- albeit a bit reluctantly. She mentally scolds herself a bit for thinking like she has. Her friend has done nothing that is even remotely close to threatening her wellbeing. If anything, they have done everything in their power to try and make them feel more comfortable. She should take note of their actions, not the tricks that her mind is playing on her. Frisk has always, and always will, been a wonderful, kind, and caring friend. It is simply in their nature to be that way. She shouldn't worry them with the silly notions in her head. The young girl's smile starts to feel less forced as she reminds herself of exactly who is walking beside her. With a lighter heart, she gives him a reassuring look that relaxes the human visibly.

That's a much better look for them, and in turn it helps her feel better as well. Maybe this walk can still be nice after all. She just needs to ignore the nonsense that her mind is feeding her and enjoy the night. She resolves to do just that. However, when she was about to make a little joke to further lighten the mood, she feels something crash upside her head. For the brief instance that she could feel it her mind registered a few things. One, the thing felt rather cold and hard. It was most likely made out of some sort of metal. Two, it hit her directly in the middle of the back of her head. It was too precise to have been random, it had to be on purpose. Three, it had enough force to hit her off stumble her body with all of the heavy groceries in her hand. Someone was trying to deal some damage.

Whoever was trying certainly succeeded. Her vision is disoriented, her thoughts are scrambled, and it quickly became hard to focus. The only thing that she could definitively register is the fact that a pair of arms caught her before she could hit the ground. They feel rather warm and comforting as well as a touch protective if their tight grip meant anything. Her upper most eye struggles a bit to obey her command, but it does glance up to catch the blurred image of Frisk looking down at her with a worried expression. They shouldn't worry too much about her, she's taken a few hits before. She just needs a moment to… what is that warm sensation trickling down the back of her head? Her shaky upper left hand reaches behind and gently touches the warm area.

A small surge of pain goes through her at the touch. Her hand recoils from the sudden feeling, but she brings it to the front of her eyes. With her vision blurred she has to squint all of her eyes to try and focus on the palm of her hand. She could be hallucinating again, but it looks like her palm is a darker color of violet than her skin should be. That can't be right, only bruises or her blood could have done that. A few more groggy moments pass before her brain registers what that meant. Oh, her head is bleeding. It seems to be bleeding a decent amount to since her entire palm looks to be covered in it. Her focus is sharpened a bit as she feels herself being pulled closer to the warm body she's sort of leaning on. Ignoring her bleeding skull and bloody hand, the injured arachnid monster looks up to see Frisk's strangely fierce face.

Odd, their mouth is moving but she can only hear some muffled noise "-hy di...ou do…hat!?" Her eyes furrow in concentration as she attempts to fill in the blanks in her hearing "She didn…do anyth…o you!" She did something to them? What did Frisk think she did in order to deserve this? Something about that doesn't seem quite right, but as her blood is slowly draining from her skull she feels her thoughts growing kind of fuzzy. It's getting harder to think as time passes on.

"You'r…an adult! Sh…a kid!" Whoever did this was an adult? Muffet frowns as she tries to gather some focus from her mind. She needs to stay awake and see who did this to her. The response from her head is extremely sluggish, but she manages to look over her shoulder to get a look at her assaulter. Now, if only her vision would stop spinning around so she can get a good look. From the blur in her sight she can see a figure standing much taller than her. There seems to be a good deal of dark colors on the person, but the deep blues are mixing in with some black. From her peripheral vision some white down lower catches her attention. Looking down she sees the basic shapes are becoming more muddied, but she manages to figure out that they're grocery bags.

Now that she thinks about it, her middle and lower arms do feel quite a bit lighter now "Tha…ittle bitc…s one… of tho...onsters!" The voice reaching her ear is not at all pleasant. Not only does it seem like their vocabulary needs some fixing, but it's so scratchy and irritating. It is simply way too gruff for anyone to enjoy. Has this person been smoking all of their lives? Their natural voice couldn't have been like that for their entire life. Despite that, their voice seems to be distinctly male. From what she can tell their vocal range is down lower than most females could ever get to, but with her head messed up she could be hearing things wrong.

At least Frisk's embrace is much more comforting as they pull her in protectively. Yet, before she turns back to look at her friend, the injured youth notices something glimmering slightly. Despite the shine, the thing that caught her attention seems rather dull in color. Sort of like a dull bronze, yet it is hard to tell since the color is blurring with the pale color around it. Could that be the person's hand? Maybe the shining item is the thing that hit her upside the head. There is no longer part to the item, and it doesn't seem to have a barrel or stock. What could that thing be? If she didn't know better, she would say that it's around the assaulter's fingers. Kind of like a knuckles only metal glove.

"If yo…ot wi….humani…then…gainst us!" Her focus is starting to slip between sharper and muddied as she fights to stay alert. It's an uphill battle though since her vision is becoming more and more blurred. The cold seems to be becoming more and more of a problem, yet she doesn't shiver. It feels more like an internal cold to her. In an odd way, she could have sworn she felt this before in the nightmare she had just last night. Was that a premonition of things to come? No, that's nonsense even for her disorientated mind. If that was, a flower would be assaulting her with Frisk ending her life. It's such a silly thought in hindsight.

Muffet blinks slowly as she sees her attacker getting taller for some reason. She can't be shrinking right? Why is her body getting slightly warmer? Oh, wait Frisk is stepping out in front of her without their jacket on. She was just gently set to the ground, but the human would never harm another person. They would talk this out with them, and then the three of them could make amends. Then she could get patched up before the attacker helped pay for the lost groceries she just bought. She smiles slightly at the idyllic scenario that came to her mind, but it was ruthlessly shattered when her attacker charged towards Frisk with their armed hand raised. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that. The human may be an expert at dodging, but if this person refuses to stop attacking then they would sooner or later get hurt. She needs to get up now and help her friend. Yet, even though she tried with all six of her arms, she couldn't push herself up.

Her worst fears are about to be realized. Her friend is now in danger just because they associated with her, and she won't be able to do a damn thing to protect them. She caused the trouble! Why should they be the ones to be punished? This isn't right. This isn't right at all! However, something completely bizarre and frightening happened before her eyes. As if hallucinating once more, the human's outfit changed to the green and yellow sweatshirt from her nightmare as they slightly step out of the way. The attacker must have overextended their arm since the blur stumbled forward. To Muffet's slight horror, her friend slammed their own fist into the person's face. Based on the loud crunch that was heard she could assume that the assaulter's nose is now broken.

The deep laughter that she drew out from Frisk rings throughout the area, but it sounds completely distorted! That alone would have sent a shiver down her spine in pure terror, but her fading sight gives her even more fuel for her horror. Her gentle companion has started to beat their victim's face in with harsh swings. She can see the assaulter's head being swung back and forth from the force behind each blow while giving their own defensive attempts to swing back. Their attempts amount to nothing though as Frisk just casually dodges them before giving the person even stronger punches for their troubles. To the young girl's growing horror splashes of blurry red begin to spray after each blow that the human gives. They're beating this person to death!

This is wrong. This is so wrong. This is completely wrong! Even with her dimming thoughts, she cries out in her mind how Frisk is supposed to be. They aren't like the people who started the legendary war that sealed the monsters underground. They aren't like the people who hate monsters because they look different. They don't start fights, they end them with words! They create peace, not violence. They are a pacifist, not a fighter. They shouldn't be like the person who they are beating down! Inwardly, she whimpers in fear. She wants them to stop this. She wants them to help her home. She wants them to help patch her up, but mostly she just wants her gentle and kind Frisk back.

As if her prayers have been heard, she witnesses the beaten up assaulter be enveloped in a light blue blur before being slammed into the wall of a nearby building. At the same time a large vine breaks through the concrete and wraps around the berserk Frisk's legs. They almost fall down into the sidewalk, but more vines punch through the man-made stone and wraps around their arms as well. While the vines keep the human off the ground, they also stop them from trying to continue. Yet, the strangest was taken up another notch when an irritated looking golden flower comes up from the ground in front of the human. Oddly enough, Muffet's mind actually takes in the fact that the flower has a face to look irritated with relative ease.

She simply must be delusional by this point right? The sight of Sans just appearing out of thin air next to the restrained assaulter just proves this. Maybe, she's actually still asleep in her room and Frisk is taking care of things at the register while her family makes the orders. That makes far more sense than what she is witnessing at the moment. She just resigns herself with just following along as best as she can. However, that is a bit hard to do when she can't even hear what everyone is saying. The flower's expression has turned into a look of disappointment as it looks like it's talking down Frisk. Somehow, it even manages to change its face into one that looks like kind of like Toriel's. It's hard to say when her vision is getting even more blurry, but at least she can tell that Frisk's body seems to be relaxing. With some difficulty, she looks over at Sans. Oddly, there seems to be a light blue blur coming from where his left eye should be.

He also seems to be talking, but it just seems much more threatening than the flower's talk. That only adds more proof that this has to dream. The short skeleton is a fun-sized package of puns and laziness, not menacing power. Even the guy's family is the complete opposite of dangerous. The only form of damage they can inflict on anyone is food poisoning and an overload of hilariously bad puns. Yet, this seems so realistic to the young monster. She briefly marvels at how detailed of a dream her mind made until she got hammered upside the head. A slow blink later and Sans is right beside her with a wallet in hand. She never knew the guy had a wallet on him, but it makes sense given the fact he was shopping. Why is he looking through it though?

Her vision finally becomes too blurry to make out exactly what is happening. She could have sworn he pulled out a driver's license, but it becomes too taxing to say for certain. The spider girl slowly starts to close her eyes just as another blob of green and bright yellow appears beside her. She almost tries to snap her eyes open when she sees the large mass of white in the center of the circling yellow. Her mind gently notes that it must be the flower. As she fully closes her eyes, she feels her head being propped up on something firm. The smell of pollen comes to her as her body can't feel the ground anymore. Smiling softly, she feels as if she's flying in the air while she falls to sleep. Yet, a final question goes through her mind before she blacks out.

If one falls asleep in a dream, do they wake up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I was really worried about this chapter at first. I couldn't find the inspiration for what to write, I was beating myself up over the last chapter I posted, and I was a little bit concerned that I wouldn't get this done.
> 
> In other words, I felt the same thing that I felt for my Bioshock story right before I stopped writing it. However, once I forced myself to write I slowly got back into my grove! Soon, I had a general idea of what I wanted to happen before I just rocketed through the rest. I also had some great encouragement from several people! I really needed that encouragement.
> 
> So, thank you guys and gals for supporting this story! It really makes my day. Should you wish to make my day again, because you are such generous people, please Review. Or, you can always Pm me to tell me what you thought!
> 
> One thing I'm certain of for this chapter is how confused some of you are going to be. I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain why, but things shall be explained at a later date!
> 
> Sadly, I'm out of things to say, so I'll see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	10. A Painful Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! We've reached a critical section of this Fic. Throughout the last six chapters, glimpses of something wrong with Frisk has been shown; however, Muffet has witnessed something truly jarring happen to Frisk in the last chapter.
> 
> With her own injury taking place, she saw the gentle human that she loves, not admitted yet, go into a full on rampage. The juxtaposition made her mind switch how they looks to the nightmare adaptation of them.
> 
> Or did something else happen…?
> 
> Things shall be revealed this chapter! Maybe!
> 
> I still don't plan ahead in these things.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. Strange, I thought that ritual was supposed to give me Toby Fox's life…

The first thing that Muffet felt when her mind's awareness returned to her is pain. Throbbing pain from the back of her skull. It's hard for her not to groan in agony from the unexpected onslaught on from her nerves. Yet, she manages to resist that while gritting her teeth. After a few minutes of doing nothing but some sharp breathing, the pain subsides enough that it's just a dull ache that barely registers. With her mind cleared a slight bit she became aware of the fact that she's laying on something comfy but at the same time rather familiar. Blindly reaching out to her sides all six of her hands grasp the material that she is laying on. Groups of thin, yet sturdy, strings of the same substance is all that she can feel. However, since her fingers can go right through the surface she is laying on it is easy to figure out that she's laying down on some webbing.

The only webs strong enough to hold up a being around the size of a human pre-teen is her own created from her specialized webbing. That fact alone is enough to relax the young girl. She's at home resting up from that nightmare. It is very unfortunate that she had another nightmare directly after the horrid one that she experienced last night. However, at the same time it is a relief that Frisk never did beat down another human. It's sad that even in her own dream that the human coming to her defense wasn't as romantic as many tales would make it out to be. While somewhat sweet, it was far bloodier in her mind. Perhaps she's just torturing herself for some reason. Is some form of buried guilt affecting her sleeping patterns?

Strange, she hasn't done anything recently that bad that could cause a dream like that. Plus, if that dream had anything to do with guilt she would have had to do something either to Frisk or that mystery attacker. She's sure she didn't do anything to her human friend, but to that person? She couldn't even get a good image of them from her dream. Actually, it's odd that she could remember anything that vividly from a dream. Most of her dreams fade away with a few key parts lingering with her, yet she can remember most of it- admittedly with a bit of a haze towards the end of it. Even odder still is the fact she felt some intense phantom pain from her dream. The young arachnid monster could even swear she could still feel some remnant of the pain.

Wait, she can still feel the pain. That isn't right. If it was just a dream, any pain inflicted within it wouldn't affect her in the real world. Her lips twitch downward into a slight frown as she thinks through each pulse of the throbbing hurt. The only logical conclusion she could come up with is that she bumped her head against something while sleeping. That makes some sense as the bump could have also affected the dream as well. That must be why the 'night walk' turned out the way it did. Her fears and concern for her friend must come forth after feeling some pain. It also explained why she woke up right after that. The unexpected physical collision forced her to wake up soon after. The theory covers everything! Well, almost everything.

If she is truly resting on her web, which she is certain she is, then she's a decent height above the ground with nothing else but herself on the web. There is nothing to bump her head onto. Also, the sheer pain she felt would have instantly awoken her instead of gradually doing so. Her frown deepens as she tries to think of any other explanation that would make a small bit of sense. Unfortunately, there is only one other thing that could work and it isn't something she wants to acknowledge in the slightest. In fact, she downright refuses to believe that the incident actually happened. There is too many things wrong with what she saw in her blurry vision. Frisk would have never beat down the person who assaulted her, a small golden flower couldn't be alive as well as be able to restrain the human, and Sans doesn't have a violent bone in his body.

Muffet pauses for a moment as she realizes she just made a pun about the skeleton. Despite the implications of what she is thinking about, it's hard not to smile a bit from the joke. Even in the face of being considered far more dangerous than he ever should be, Sans still manages to lighten the mood with just his presence. It's a rather nice trait that he just seems to have. Still, the seriousness of the situation needs to be taken at face value. Which means, Frisk may be more violent than she ever considered, there might be a living golden flower that seems awfully familiar to her, and Sans could be hiding the true extent of his power. What does it all mean when it's put together? She doesn't have a damn clue. Maybe she should just open her eyes and get up.

Taking in a deep breath, the young girl uses her grip on the web around her and pushes off of it. She immediately regrets this decision as she moved far too fast. The resulting head rush she got made the throbbing pain coming from the back of her head transform into a pounding pain. It takes quite a bit of willpower not to whimper pathetically and curl up into a ball of agony. Instead, she sits in that position while taking in some deep breathes. Once the pain is back down into the much more manageable throbbing range, she slowly opens her eyes. At first, everything is a bit of a blur of darkness and purple. However, after a few minutes her eyes adjust to the lighting and she can confirm that she is back in her home. Something seems a little off though.

It's almost like she can't quite see everything like she could before. Her eyes scan around the room in confusion before she realizes what seems wrong. She can't see anything from her top eye. The monster could feel her own panic rising in her chest, but she forces it down in order to calmly check for a reason. After all, nothing happened to that eye in her most recent 'dream' or in real life before that. She starts off simple enough, moving her top right hand towards the eye. Sure enough, she can't see her hand at all. Ignoring the building sensation of worry she then tries to gently touch where her eye is supposed to be. Her eyes furrow in confusion as her hand brushes against something that felt kind of rough.

The material didn't stop right over her eyes either. Tracing it with her hand, the young girl soon discovered that it wrapped around her entire head. While it was comforting to know that her eye was merely covered up, this was another sign that the 'dream' actually happened. Her hand drops down as while she glances down. Medical gauze. She knows it is medical gauze wrapped around to cover up her injured skull. Her top eye just happened to be in the way. Even in the face of this evidence she tries to deny it all. Frisk would never do that. They're too much of a pacifist to even consider to do it. They wouldn't. They just wouldn't.

Yet, at this point there was no way to deny it. She needed to face the truth. She was attacked on the way home from the store. In her daze of pain, she witnessed her dear friend turn into something she thought they couldn't be. They beat down the assailant almost effortlessly before the horrifying scene turned into a bizarre sight. The throbbing pain in the back of her head becomes more intense as she tries to focus on the memories. The arachnid monster knows she saw something to do with a golden flower, but it was such a haze. She almost manages to force a clearer image of the flower in her mind when the sound of light snoring catches her attention. Blinking in confusion, she looks over to the side before seeing something that only confirms that the 'dream' was real.

Much like an adorable pup, Red is curled up in a small ball with her red cloak wrapped up around her. Her cowl still conceal her facial features, but the single eye that is visible is closed. It couldn't be very comfortable on the floor like that. Yet, the younger child doesn't seem to be even remotely uncomfortable. To Muffet, it just may be one of the most adorable sights she has ever seen. She may not know what type of monster the cowled girl is, but she definitely has some canine traits to her. Aw, her leg is even twitching a bit. That's just too adorable. Embarrassingly enough, Muffet spends several more minutes just watching the younger girl twitch, roll, and curl up further in her sleep.

Of course, the arachnid girl idly wondered why Red was even in her bedroom in the first place. Was the younger girl just worried about her? If so, she is far kinder than her earlier story would have lead anyone to believe. Though, that could be a side-effect of spending time with Frisk since the human has a tendency to bring out the best in people. It's a talent that they seem to have innately. Like a natural ability to make friends with almost everyone. The spider monster sigh wistfully as she can't help but be a bit envious of that trait. The charisma from that ability alone could help out a lot of people- as well as bring in a lot more customers to her bakery. Alas, there is only one Frisk, and their ability is their own unique talent.

The young monster shakes her head as she realizes she's getting a bit off track. She needs to find out exactly what happened before she passed out. As carefully as she could, she swings her legs over the side of the web. The slight shift in momentum put a bit of a strain on her webbing. She wasn't worried that it would break, but the strain created a small stretching noise. She was forced to still herself as Red's breathing hitched. The younger girl's body stiffens as the unexpected noise alerted her to a change in the immediate area. She didn't look like she had woken up. Instead, it was more like she had trained herself to be an incredibly light sleeper. Muffet winces a bit as she discovers why the younger girl was in her room.

The former royal guard was the 'guard dog' that would alert everyone in the bakery that the injured girl was awake. While she was sure it was for her own safety, the spider girl couldn't help but be a bit annoyed by this. She appreciates the concern, really she does, but this might be a bit overkill. However, this also leads her to believe that some others must be in her home. Possibly even Frisk themselves. If she can just sneak around her guard, then she may be able to pick up on something without the others noticing. It might be a bit more challenging than if she was in perfect health. The removal of one of her eyes is something she'll have to quickly get used to, and the constant pain she is feeling threatens to give her away should it get too intense. Yet, at the moment she is determined to find out what happened to her and her friend.

With the grace of a slightly injured spider, Muffet manages to drop to the ground unsteadily. She stumbled a bit, but she was remained silent. Her body remains slightly crouched as she makes her way from her room towards the kitchen. For once, she almost curses the fact that she didn't actually get a door to separate her room from the rest of the bakery. Though, it might help a bit. All she has to do is peek around the corner in order to see if anyone is in the adjacent room. A quick glance in reveals that her tea pot was out again. Some various blends of tea sit neatly on the counter next to the sink. Yet, no one is in the room. That doesn't stop the spider monster from moving cautiously into the open.

There isn't many places to conceal herself in the kitchen. The counters are directly placed against the wall while being fitted perfectly into corners. She never saw the appeal of counters jutting out in the center of the room, it was just poor design in her opinion. It was basically an open area with polished oak table in the center so she could flatten larger amounts of dough with more ease. With no other choice, she quickly goes around the table before crouching down behind the front counter. Despite the situation being far from ideal, she couldn't help feeling a bit of excitement. It was like she was a special agent gathering intel for her country.

The thought was kind of ridiculous, yet it also reminded her that she was still just a child. Maybe she could do something like this again when everything makes more sense. She could even invite Frisk to join in with her! Maybe Red too. She does want to know a little bit more about the girl. They could form teams, make some props, get some others to join in, and they could write down stuff about themselves to be the intel. Muffet nearly sighs longingly. She really does need to get out more often and just enjoy herself. Being cooped up in her bakery has made even this situation exciting to her instead of worrying. That can't be healthy in the slightest.

"They really did that?" The spider girl immediately focuses as she hears someone speaking "Oh my, I never thought that Frisk could do something like that." Her lips curl downward into a frown as she listens. The voice is definitely feminine, there is a sense of gentle concern that comes from the person's words. It takes only a moment to place the voice as Toriels. Her chest starts to feel a bit heavy as she listens in. Muffet may be Frisk's friend, but this is the human's surrogate mother. The news must be much worse for her.

"Yeah, I didn't think the kid had it in them either." It didn't even take a moment to register that voice "I guess even the most gentle people have their breaking points." Yep, that's defiantely Sans speaking. Something seems a bit off though. His voice sounded sad, yet there was something underneath it. If she didn't know better, the arachnid monster may have assumed that it was familiarity. That can't be right though, Frisk hasn't done anything like this before.

"But beating up a man?" Toriel's voice sounds so full of a combination of disbelief and worry "And an armed man at that." That instantly caught Muffet's attention as she remembered the out of place bronze blur over her attacker's hand "It's just too much to take in." Her ears pick up the sound of a tea cup clicking against a table. She's tempted to sneak a peek over the counter. The desire is a strong one, but she wills herself to stay where she is. With her top eye covered, she would expose more of her head than she is willing to.

A scoff reaches her ears as well as another tea cup being placed against a table's surface "I don't know if you can call someone like that a man." The young monster is nearly taken aback by the sheer venom in the short comedian's voice "Using brass knuckles on a defenseless child, you can't get much lower than that." So that's what hit her upside the head. The bastard used brass knuckles to crack her skull open. Well wherever he is, she hopes that he enjoys some spidery company swarming towards him.

"Frankly, I don't blame Frisk for beating the tar out of the guy. He deserved it." Seriously, the deadly tone that Sans has is sending a shiver of fear down Muffet's spine "If it was me, he wouldn't have gotten off so easily." Why does it feel like the room temperature is taking a nosedive? She has to wrap her arms around herself as her body feels inexplicably cold. It seems the more she listens to Sans like this, the worse it gets.

"Don't speak like that Sans!" Even Toriel seems to be taken aback by the comedian's strange behavior "Muffet is safe now. She has Red watching over her right now." The more the former queen speaks, the more that the room's heat returns "And Frisk," The goat monster hesitates for a moment before carefully speaking "Frisk is going to be watched more carefully." The spider girl's eyes furrow once more as she hears that. Was Frisk being watched before this? As far as she knows, this is the only violent incident the human has ever had.

"Yeah, I'll keep a closer eye socket on them." The way Sans said that didn't sit well with the young girl. Not in the slightest. What did the skeleton mean by a closer eye on them? Was he always watching Frisk? She takes a moment to think about that possibility. If that was true, it would explain a lot. It explains why Sans always seems to show up when Frisk and her are doing something. It would also explain why he seemingly always knows where the human is in every situation. Not to mention the fact that he just showed up to separate Frisk from the guy who attacked her. Well, that's one piece of the puzzle. Now she just needs to find out about that flower.

"At least the bastard is in jail now." The spider monster files away the new information in the back of her mind for the moment "It's too bad that Undyne didn't become a police officer. She could have really enjoyed interrogating the guy." Muffet has to stifle a giggle at that memory. Back before she became Mettaton's bodyguard, the former captain of the royal guard tried her hand at law enforcement. It didn't really last long since she couldn't take the paperwork aspect of being an officer of the law. Although, there were rumors that the police couldn't accept her because of the amount of enthusiasm she had towards beating in criminal's faces.

The tension in the air dissipates a bit as both of the adults laugh at the thought. After the incident that they all experienced, everyone really needed a laugh. A small smile quirks its way onto the young girl's lips as she continues to listen in. Even in the most trying times, Sans never loses his ability to lighten the mood. She couldn't think of any situation where he doesn't make his infamously bad puns, or at least crack a joke or two. The familiarity relaxes her for the moment as she lets her thoughts envelope her while she makes her way back to her room. She still needs to make sense of the new information presented to her. Still, one thought in the back of her mind makes her lips split into a large grin with her fangs fully visible.

While pretending to have just woken up the next day, she politely asks for the newspaper. When asked why, she just replies that she has something she wanted to check up on. Sure enough, after she got the newspaper that large grin appeared once more along with an almost maniacal fit of giggles. Toriel and Red were a bit confused by the sight of it, but Sans had managed to sneak a peek of the article that the young girl was reading. While it wasn't his style of humor, he couldn't help but let his grin grow larger. The article's title was 'Man accused of assaulting a young monster child swarmed by black widow spiders!'

Now, that was a nice touch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know I'm a bit late in updating today, but I blame the fact I was distracted. By what you may ask? I don't know. A lot of things that really shouldn't had distracted me.
> 
> I would like to apologise right now for this chapter. I feel that it isn't as solidly written as normal. That may be because I was up at twelve in the morning writing. Damn you distractions. Regardless, I do hope you enjoy the chapter! Please tell me what you thought of it, what you think will happen later, and any strange inconsistencies that you notice.
> 
> If you have issue with anything in this chapter, please tell me in a civil and kind manner. If you do not explain your reasoning I may just have your comment/review removed. Also, if you have a problem with Red being in this chapter again then I have something to say to you:
> 
> She may not be the most prominent character in this story, but she is in this story. I personally like her, so don't complain about her! Stating opinion is fine, complaining is not.
> 
> Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed/commented on this story! Spider's Parlor is my most successful story I have ever written, and you guys motivate me to continue it. Thank you one and all.
> 
> Welp, I have to get going. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	11. Searching for Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! In light of the last chapter, I decided to try and get a head-start on this chapter. With Muffet injured, she's going to face some challenges. Luckily, she has people to help her out!
> 
> Let's see how bad this turns out.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. I don't even own it in my dreams.

Word of Muffet's incident spread much faster than she had expected. She knew that they would find out sooner or later, but to have several people show up at her door in concern the very next day? It just didn't seem like it would happen that quickly. Yet, here they are defying her expectations. The majority of them told her that they hope she recovers soon while bringing with them some cards. The young girl couldn't help but feel a bit shy with all the attention coming her way. It was like the entire underground came by just to wish her well! However, she couldn't just refuse them. That would be extremely rude and callous. So, she reassured them the best that she could, shook hands with some, and thanked every last one of them for their concern.

In the middle of thanking a small monster child who was lacking arms, a thought occurred to her. Monsters truly are strange. If one of their own was hurt in any way, they would flock from miles around just to help them. The proof of that was right in front of her as she gently smiled at the young child. Such a thing couldn't be said about humanity unless it was a major disaster. Some could assume that humans were just against the idea of helping others with no benefits. Yet, there still are those who go out of their way to help people in need. The contrasting evidence baffled the spider monster. In the end she could only settle on two things. One, monsters really are strange. Two, humans are simply confusing.

Still, the two sides share their similarities. When their backs are against the walls monsters and human will do anything to survive. In times of need, they're both willing to throw aside their differences to solve the problem at hand. They both care for their own, help each other, and they all have their own hopes and dreams. If everyone would just look past appearances so many problems could be fixed. So many issues could be resolved. So many possibilities could be opened up for everyone. Yet, humanity still fears monsters for one reason or another. Whether it be because of monsterkind's ability to use magic, or just because of their appearance. It can be disheartening to a simple bakery owner at times.

Also, it would be incorrect to put the entire blame on humanity. As much as she would like to say otherwise, the young arachnid monster has seen monsters causing problems as well. She has reasoned to herself that a problem of living centuries is that anger and hatred builds up. The long life span of monsters practically ensured that there were many monsters who remembered the suffering they endured before being sealed away. There is too many that stubbornly hangs onto their despair in the once-futile hope that they would get revenge. At one point, is looked very unlikely that those people would get their chance: However, the unexpected release from their underground prison has given way to their dark hopes becoming reality.

What makes matter worse is the fact that most of the more elder of monsters had access to more powerful magic. Their years of experience and experimenting has given rise to some horrific incidents. Buildings inexplicably burned down, store walls suddenly imploding, and humans being mentally tortured. The knowledge that some monsters just let loose their rage and hate gives Muffet a heavy heart. They could have done some wonderful things, but instead they squander their abilities for petty revenge. She is glad that there is some that chose to put the past behind them for the future of monsterkind and humanity.

Like the ancient tortoise monster Gerson. The old monster had taken up a job as a history professor in one of the local colleges. He now shares the history of the underground to anyone who will listen. There has been more than one time where he had to settle disputes between some hot-blooded monster and human teenagers. More than once the young spider girl has mused why so many people readily listen to Gerson. Was it his age? Was it because he knew so much about their history? She had assumed that those had a part in it, but in the end she chalked it up to the fact that he was a veteran. A person who actually experienced what he was talking about. A hero to the people.

Kind of like Frisk. At the thought of Frisk, Muffet almost frowns. She hasn't seen the human since they started to pound her attacker's face in. The sudden cold shoulder is very concerning to her. This is a completely new side of her friend that she has never seen before. Admittedly, she's not sure how to react. Part of her wants to rush up to the human and hold them tight in gratitude. Another side wants to put as much distance from Frisk as possible in fear. Oddly, a part of her wants to take them and kept them to herself. Although, that side has been there for a while now. It's just harder for her to ignore at the moment. That aside, there is even a primal part of her that is practically screaming 'beg for your life' in the back of her head.

However, despite most of her mind being at war with itself, there is one want that overpowers all of her conflicting desires. Above all, she just wants to talk to the human again. She wants to get their side of the story before choosing what to do. She only has a hazy recollection of what happened, a partial conversation between Sans and Toriel, and some rumors that people have been saying. It simply isn't enough for her to go on. She needs to confront her savior, but she has no idea where they could possibly be. Her first instinct was to go to Toriel in an attempt to discover their location.

That plan failed almost instantly. The former queen had pulled her aside before the young girl could try to ascertain the human's location. After asking a few of the normal 'are you alright' and 'do you need any help' questions the goat monster caught Muffet off-guard with a firm command. She made it clear that the young girl should stay in her home and rest. Her tone allowed no arguments before she even made it clear. The young arachnid became extremely flustered as her former queen went on saying that, even though she wanted to, Muffet couldn't go find Frisk. The human would come to her when they were ready. The conversation left the young girl both flustered and frustrated.

With Toriel out, she tried to coax an answer out of Red. Since the younger girl had imposed the duty to help the spider monster onto herself, said spider monster decided to play off of that. Admittedly, she did feel a bit guilty when she played the 'worried sick but too injured to do anything' card, but she mentally promised to make it up to her later. The tactic worked well enough to get Red fussing over her. The young child promised to do everything in her power to help the older girl. Muffet quickly found out that her companion really meant everything in her power. She couldn't do anything without the former royal guard accompanying her for just in case scenarios.

Of course, the spider girl withheld her question at first. It wouldn't do to just ask it immediately after making it sound like she was too injured to do anything. She didn't want to seem suspicious after all. So, she spent quite a bit of time with her new companion. Her respect for the younger girl continued to grow as the day went on. Based on the story she was told, Muffet already knew that the girl was a powerful combatant, but she didn't know how brave the girl was. That was quickly corrected when Undyne decided to stop by for a visit. Now, the young baker has nothing against the former captain of the royal guard. She's brave, confident, strong, and she means well.

However, she also has a lack of restraint that could put get her in trouble at times. It really shows in delicate situations that requires care rather than brute force. Instead of just talking, the woman practically came in yelling bloody vengeance against the human that harmed the young spider girl. The throbbing pain, which hasn't really gone down, from Muffet's head practically skyrocketed. She had to grit her teeth and use all of her will not to whimper pathetically. She's not sure if Undyne noticed or not, but Red certainly did. The ensuing sight was almost awe-inspiring. The young cloaked girl, that once served under the stronger woman, immediately grabbed went over to her former captain.

She then grabbed onto the front of the fish monster's shirt before yanking her down so her eye could meet Red's only visible eye "Tone it down." There was no one present that didn't have wide eyes from the pure boldness this girl just displayed "Muffet is sensitive to loud noises right now." The entire room waited with bated breath as everyone watched. They could see Undyne's own wide eye, and she honestly looked far out of her comfort zone. Who knows if she had ever been confronted like this before.

After a few moments she sheepishly grinned "Sorry about that." A large collection of shuddering breaths were let out as Red nodded in satisfaction. Muffet continued to watch in stunned silence as her companion let go of her former boss's shirt. She couldn't help but keep her eyes trained on the younger girl as she quickly returned to her energetic self. Mentally, the arachnid monster made sure to remember that she owes Red a lot more than before. Without her intervention, the bodyguard to Mettaton would likely screamed promises of blood for quite some time.

Unfortunately, when the spider baker finally asked Red where Frisk could be, the younger girl didn't have the slightest clue. Apparently, the former royal guard mostly converses with the human at school. Since most people tend to avoid the perpetually cowled girl, she tended to wander by herself during any free time they got at school. Seeing that, Frisk went out of their way to spend time with her. It didn't take long for the two of them to start sharing facts about themselves, talking about their ambitions in life, and just messing around with each other. Red openly admitted that the human and herself are more casual friends rather than extremely close friends. With a smile on her face, she confided in Muffet that she hoped that she could become closer friends with Frisk.

Though, she was quite to say that she would never be as close to them than Muffet was. That threw the arachnid child for a loop, but Red had quickly left to help deal with the influx of monsters in the bakery. Left alone with her thoughts, the owner of said bakery was a bit puzzled. Yes, she spends quite a bit of her own personal time with the human, but she doesn't have that much personal time to begin with. Frisk has much more of their own free time that they must spend with a number of friends. Surely, they are closer to other people than with her right? It's very unlikely that she is their closest friend. In fact, she's willing to bet that Sans is the human's best friend.

The short skeleton is always there for young Frisk. He always has a joke ready to brighten up anyone's day, he's quite the excellent listener, and despite saying he's lazy when he puts forth real effort his progress is capabilities are astonishing. If there was anything to take away from the conversation she overheard last night, Sans is also extremely protective of the people he cares about. With only a small hazy glimpse of the skeleton's power, she doesn't know the full extent of his abilities. However, Muffet has no doubt that he would do anything to protect Frisk. For some reason, that the thought of everyone's comedic friend cutting loose sends a horrified shiver down her spine.

Yet, he also happens to be the only person left to ask about Frisk. Biting her bottom lip slightly, the spider girl shifts her gaze to the lone skeleton in the corner. Just like with his power, she isn't sure how perceptive Sans really is. The entire 'lazy skeleton' thing could be an act to hide his possibly brilliant mind. After all, there were rumors that he was once the royal scientist before Alphys. If those statements hold any truth at all, then the short skeleton would have to be a genius! Especially since the royal scientist before Alphys designed and built the core, the single machine that was responsible for generating all the power in the underground. That is no small scientific or engineering feat to accomplish.

So, if Sans is the same person that could make something like that possible how could she trick him into revealing Frisk's location? She may be a master of manipulation and subtly with the skill to barter a scrooge out of their entire life savings, but her last hope for finding the human quickly has her trembling in fear by his mere presence. She'd never be able to trick or convince him if she's stumbling over her words. Especially if her nervous stutter makes a powerful return. The thought alone threatens to curl her lip into a scowl. Yet, she knows that if she fails to do this then it may be quite some time before she'll see her dear friend. The thought of finding Frisk makes the pressure on her chest lighten. It allows her to breath more easily despite the challenge ahead of her.

She can feel herself being filled by a strange sense of purpose. The sense aids her courage as she walks over to the laid-back skeleton. Even as Sans's eyes meets her own, she feels determined to confront her friend. Even if it means going through the person in front of her to do it. In the back of her mind, her instinct is yelling at her to stop before she does something stupid. Goosebumps rise all over her skin as she steps in front of the comedian. The polite smile on her lips feels rather weak compared to earlier performances she's given. God, her entire body feels like its trembling in trepidation. Yet, the worse thing is his gaze. The young girl felt as if her soul was laid bare to him. Her hopes and dreams were presented for scrutiny. Her shortcomings and fears were shown for study.

Her darkest desires and worse sins were revealed for judgement "How you doing Little Miss Muffet?" The familiar joke helps to cut down some of her inexplicable fear, but she still feels overwhelmed by him. This has never happened to her before. She's always managed to have a casual friendship with Sans. Everyone has! So, why does she feel as if she's on trial? Why does she fear what this man could do? Why does he render her speechless from pure terror?

Unable to speak, she watches as he tilts his head slightly while his right eye socket is raised like an eyebrow "You want to find Frisk don't you?" The sense of purpose that helped her just get here quickly abandons her "Well, I'm not sure if I can help you there." He already knows. How could he possibly know what she was going to ask? Hadn't she been careful to whom she asked? Hadn't she made sure that no one would overhear them?

The comedic skeleton sighs slightly "Okay, it's more like I'm not sure if I should help you." Her eyes widen slightly as his pupils disappear leaving behind two black abysses in his eyes "You may not be able to deal with what you would learn." It takes every last scrap of her will not to feel faint as she listens. This small reveal of what's behind the playful grin and bad jokes is proving to be too much for the young arachnid. However, she gathers her wits and takes a deep breath just so she could speak.

"I-I can t-try to." It's hard to suppress the wince that she has from how meek and helpless she sounds. A large part of her was making it clear that she should back out now before it's too late. Muffet quickly stomps down that idea as she watches the unmoving Sans. It was almost like he fell asleep only with his eyes open revealing twin voids that threaten to consume a person should they look into them for too long. She almost averts her eyes from his, but she manages to hold her stare.

She's made her decision, and she'll stand by it until the end "I suppose even a spider can get wrapped up in another person's web." The laughter following the joke sounded as hollow as the comedian looks at that moment "Alright, I guess you should know what's going on." Muffet watches as he stands up. Thankfully, his pupils quickly return as he glances over at her with his right eye socket closed. While that does make it a bit easier to stand his intimidating presence, she can still the residual effects of his true nature.

"Hold on, this will be disorienting for you." Not even a moment after he speaks, everything in Muffet's vision blurs into one muddled mess of colors. A strain like no other is put on her body that feels like her very tie to reality is being tested. A plethora of visions erupt in the forefront of her mind with each one showing her in one way or another. In one, she's back in her old parlor petting her precious pet with a hollow smile that is devoid of any actual emotion. In another, she's clutching a knife wound to the stomach as she stumbles down a sidewalk in the middle of the night. In a more positive vision, she sees Frisk and herself laying down in a field of swaying grass while they talk with each other.

With these visions, the young girl is put under a barrage of sensations. She can simultaneously feel her body becoming colder as blood spills out of her while the sun's rays warm her skin wonderfully. A surge of content and joy battles against a hollow sensation in her chest. She can feel life and death, suffering and joy, anger and sorrow all at once. Her sanity wears away sliver by sliver as she is subjugated to these conflicting experiences. All at once, the visions cease along with the sensations that accompany them. She almost collapses in relief, but the feeling of a hand on her middle left wrist garners her attention. A glance at it reveals it to be a skeleton's hand.

Muffet nearly thinks that it must be Sans hand, but something about the hand seem different from his. She realizes that it's bigger than the short skeleton's hand. Also, she's pretty sure that Sans's hoodie doesn't have black draping sleeves. The contact from the hand is helping her stay sane though, so she decides not to question it. Not that she could anyways since the blurred vision becomes still in an instant. Blinking in confusion, the young girl looks around at her new surroundings. Rocky surfaces make up quite a chunk of the area, but it's hard to make out anything else with the lack of light in the area.

"Are you alright?" She glances over at a worried looking Sans "You didn't grab on like I said." Grab on? Yes, she does remember him saying that. Why did she need to grab on though? She may be even more confused on how he managed to get them here in an instant, but she's feeling fine. Though, there is the strange sensation on her middle left wrist. It almost feels like someone is gently holding onto it for some reason. The feeling is strangely reassuring.

Absentmindedly, she notices a hole in the ceiling that is allowing some light to stream down from above "I'm fine dearie." Following the light down with her eyes, the spider monster's eyes come to rest on a bed of golden flowers. Each one looks like they've been taken care of with great care, but her focus doesn't stay on them. No, it immediately locks onto the human wearing a purple and blue hoodie with a repeating spider pattern design. A smile breaks out on her lips as she sees that. She may not understand how she got here, or even where here is, yet she doesn't really care.

She's found her friend "Frisk!" The surprising shout startles the human as they look over their shoulder with wide eyes. The desire to run over and practically tackle them is impossible to deny. However, before she could do such a thing, one of the flowers tilts itself to the side. Her heart nearly stops as she sees an annoyed expression on it's face. A feeling of dread builds up in her as she locks eyes with the flower. This can't be happening. This just can't be happening.

A vine comes out of the ground beside the flower before its tip points at the stunned Muffet "What's she doing here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'll leave this chapter there. I'm sure I'm sounding like a broken record at this point, but I just feel that the longer I continue to write the worse my chapters are. You guys seem to say otherwise though, so here it is.
> 
> So, we're coming up to a major chapter that will explain quite a lot of things. That is, if I do this as I planned. Sort of planned. Semi-planned? Eh, you get the picture. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the next chapter out when I normally do, but I'll try.
> 
> Regardless, prepare yourself for an onslaught of informative information that will shape your understanding of this story!
> 
> Oh yeah. Regarding the teleportation scene with Sans, that's how I think people who aren't aware of the timelines/don't have the ability to save or load experience the teleportation. It threatens to tear them asunder unless they have help to survive it.
> 
> Then they promptly forget everything in between destinations because they're not suppose to remember it. I like to think of it as localized time-travel with different destinations.
> 
> Anyways, I have to go for now. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	12. Determination to Persevere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In an effort to get a head start on, what could possibly be, a long chapter I am writing this right after I finished the last chapter. Anything I got from the last chapter will be acknowledged at the end Author's note.
> 
> I honestly don't have anything else to say.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Muffet was on a verge of a mental breakdown. Putting aside the fact she was attacked, the fact that she was saved by a suddenly violent Frisk, and the fact that Sans had completely terrified her, she was now talking to a sentient _flower_. Has her sanity completely faded away? Where was the sense of world? Why is this happening to her out of all people!? She just wants to make a living with her baked goods, and keep her family safe! She possibly might want to find someone to spend her life with at a later time too. Are those things really too much to ask for? She already feels as if she is going to snap. How much can one person take!?

Her breathing quickly becomes ragged as she looks around rapidly "Oh god, she hyperventilating." Hearing that weed speak more only makes her breathing get worse as she falls to her knees. Her top left hand clutches her ribbon as she struggles to steady herself. The rest of her hands dig their fingers into the ground just so she could grasp anything. She needs something physical to make sure she's actually here at the moment. The feeling of cold dirt surrounds her sharp fingers as they bury into the ground, but it isn't enough to convince her that this is actually happening. She doesn't want this to be happening. The flower that partially haunted her dreams only a few days ago is actually real.

The thing that crushed her leg before breaking her arms one by one exists "I-I know you... "A part of her dream flashes before her eyes to remind her of what she awoke from. Her pain was agonizing, large thorns have pierced her leg while the vine squeezed her blood from the open wounds. The pressure was far too much as the bone cracked before shattering. Her screech of pain echoed throughout the darkness that surrounded her, but the terror truly began when she heard that voice.

" _Howdy! I'm-"_

"Flowey," She didn't need to look up to tell that the three of them are looking at her "Flowey the Flower." The name that eluded her in the dream came forth from her lips with such ease. To her, this creature's name is both familiar yet new at the same time. Her mind hurts terribly as she feels visions almost coming to the forefront of her mind, but they're all getting in each other's way as they try to force her to see them all at once. It's all too much. Her mind can't handle such pressure. The pain in the back of her head returned with a vengeance as it quickly becomes unbearable. Quickly removing her top right hand from the dirt, the young girl cradles her head with her two top hands as she tries to endure the onslaught of pain.

The pain quickly gets bad enough that she's almost curling up in a futile attempt to protect herself "I think seeing me sparked a good amount of alternate memories." God, the more the flower speaks the more of the unwanted visions emerge. Her body trembles from the pain while she does her best to hold in her whimpers by biting down on her bottom lip using her fangs. She can see so many ways she can die. Barrages of white pellets quickly show to be a common trend, but that doesn't make their impact any less painful. Then there is the vines. Piercing straight through her heart, being shoved through her mouth and down through her stomach before the thorns grow. Each of her limbs being pulled apart slowly while she screams in painful horror.

Phantom vines could be felt crawling all over her body as she was shown millions of ways she might have died. As more images of her death pass through her mind faster and faster the young girl faintly realized a growing trend with these images. With each passing 'death' it was taking longer and longer for these visions to end. With what little mental capacity she could use at the moment, Muffet grew horrified as it seemed that these versions of herself were tortured more and more before being allowed to die. Her resolve was breaking, her spirit couldn't take any more of this hell that was brought onto her. Desperation clawed at her heart as her fingers clutched onto her skull. Soon, her fingertips broke through the flesh before her blood slowly streamed down her face.

Then the visions changed. They were passing by quickly once more, but there was something different about them. There was something else causing her demise within this set of horrors. She no longer felt the sensation of vines tearing into her body. Instead she could have sworn she could feel something metal striking her down. Oddly, nothing pierced her. It was more like someone was swinging a metal object into her body. The change in pain was welcomed a bit as it was considerably better than being violated and torn apart by vines. With some of her focus back, Muffet noticed something odd about these new visions. Amidst the quickly blurring scenes that rush past, there was a single thing that remained in focus. Almost like the thing was taking the same path through each time until it attacked her.

This constant seemed so familiar to her. As if she knew what this was. All she needed to do is examine- The young girl nearly lashed out in surprise when she felt a pair of arms wrap in between her lower and middle sets of arms. The only reason she didn't was because the sensation comforted her for some reason. Still, when she was pulled up against a warm body she squirmed in an attempt to free herself from this unknown comfort. In her state of mind, the spider monster couldn't tell what was her friend or what was her foe. Her middle and lower hands gripped the dirt in fear for her life.

It was only the sight of small vines coming out of the ground around her hands that scared her into letting go. Curling up against the warm comforting body, Muffet tries to shield herself from any assaults on her body. Not a very easy thing for her when she's simultaneously attempting to sort through the mess of painful visions. The chore is quickly draining her mentally. How long can she continue to try before her sanity is gone? Probably not that much longer. However, the feeling of a hand gently rubbing her back helps fortify her mind somehow. The presence of serene aid may have been the only reason she could hold on. A new sense of purpose blooms within her as she throws all of her mental ability into processing these visions.

She has a small inkling of who might be holding her, and that thought only bolsters her efforts. The young girl can feel herself becoming more determined to withstand this torture. That still proves easier said than done when a barrage of fresh pain is inflicted upon her. Her body feels the effects of being killed in hundreds of different ways. The attacks that brought her to the edge of death may be even worse than the actual deaths. Each sped-up strike in her vision builds up the pain lingering from the last, but when the vision version of her dies the pain only builds more. She didn't bother trying to count the ways she died, the number of strikes that hit their target, or the amount of torture she had to endure.

Just like the color that her people were connected to, she just persevered. If the clans have been doing that for generations she could do it for however long this lasts right? Her family has endured famines, undue assaults from people that tower over them, and predators that desired to eat them. Being stomped on, frozen, burned, torn apart, dissected alive, legs sliced off, starvation, fighting against their own. Spiders have always made it through the worst of times, even if they have to move to a new home. If her ancestors and relatives survived through that, then she will damn well make it through this. The sense of purpose grew more and more as she held on fast against the tide of brutality being thrown at her.

The young arachnid refused to lose to something as insignificant as images. No, she would take everything this hell has to offer before laughing mischievously in it's face. Despite the intense mounting pain, her lips twitched up into a slight smile. Isn't that what she always does anyways? This shall be no different. Her limbs shook as she forced her top arms to fall down to her side. Her hands balled up into tightly packed fists as she willed them not to move. She commanded her eyes to open once more as she gritted her teeth harshly. What she saw before her was a short skeleton that looked very concerned, and a living flower that looked genuinely surprised. She didn't know why, but as the pain was building up to soul shattering levels she couldn't help herself.

As if venting every last bit of damage inflicted upon her through the hellish eternity in her mind, she released it all with a single scream. The young girl's pain reached its peak as her voice raised in pitch. Her own rings were ringing as she forced all the air out of her lungs. The skeleton in front of her took a step back while the flower winced harshly. Yet, the hand that was rubbing her back wrapped back around her stomach as she was pulled even closer to the person holding her. It was the extra bit of reassurance that she needed when the last image flashed by her eyes. What she saw was nearly an identical showing of her nightmare. However, instead of vines there was a being that broke her arms with ease. The thing laughed as it told her to crawl away, yet the vision version of herself refused to.

Instead, she defiantly laughed at the unnatural thing. In the last moments of her vision she could see surprised outrage on the face of her killer before a blade was buried through her top eye. Then in that instant, the soul shattering pain was gone. Her lungs gave out only a moment later as Muffet gasped for air. Her skin felt clammy from her sweat. Her entire body was trembling from the effort she exerted throughout the ordeal. That didn't matter to her though. She just felt so tired, and the warm body behind her feels so good. Without a single thought the young arachnid leans back into the comforting embrace.

A smile grew as she felt the arms tightening around her. To her, it was a declaration that the person would protect her, and while she normally would be offended a bit by the idea it was a nice offer at the moment. Glancing lazily down to the arms holding her only makes her smile grow more. Sleeves of purple and blue in a repeating spider pattern. With a content sigh she allowed her eyes to slowly close while leaning her head back to rest on the person. A soothing sound greets her as she rests her head on them. The rhythmic beating of a heart offers to send her to dreamland until she is ready to awake once more.

As amazing as that would have been for her, there were other things that took priority "Golly! I never knew she could handle the influx of alternate memories." Or there were annoyances that just couldn't keep their mouths shut "In all of the runs that I did, she never showed this capabi-" Mentally exhausted and out of any form of patience, Muffet growls out in irritation. Her eyelids furrow before she blindly holds out her middle right hand at the source of the sound. Forcing her web out of her palm, the sound of muffled screams could soon be heard.

The sound of deep laughter follows suit "N-nice shot spiderwoman." Knowing that the others wouldn't let her get a moment of rest at the moment the irate monster opens her eyes. She turns on the voices with the full intent of releasing her unrestrained fury, but she pauses when she sees what's she's done. The webbing that she shot was aimed with a startling accuracy, but she may have used too much. From the mouth down, the living flower was entangled with webs. The glare that it has is far more amusing to the young baker than threatening, and it only gets more amusing as the vines it uses get tangled up along with it's main body. Sans is laughing without restraint at this, and she soon follows suit.

It doesn't take long for the wonderful sound of Frisk laughing to join them as well. Of course, the source of their laughter isn't taking this well at all. It's muffled screams could only be assumed to be death threats or promises of extreme violence. Yet, soon it just droops as it gives up trying to free itself. Feeling much better at this point, Muffet shakily stands from the human's embrace before walking over to the flower. Crouching down in front of it, the living plant looks up at her with an annoyed glare. She only gives a mischievous smile in return before using the fingertips of her center right hand to grasp the web around its mouth. For a moment she just toys with it causing the flower's glare to harshen.

In response, she raises her eyebrows at the sight "My, my!" She openly grins at the flower with her fangs in full view "Is that anyway to get my help dearie?" At that the flower reluctantly drops the glare while its stem bends. It looks kind of like the plant is slouching in defeat. The sight was so pitiful that the girl decided to give it some mercy. In one fluid movement, she pulls the webbing off of its mouth. Surprisingly, the flower didn't yell at her or promise to give her eternal torment.

For some reason, she feels as if that would have been this creature's normal behavior, but it instead just mutters a thank you before examining her with curious eyes. Her skin feels like it could start to crawl again from its gaze alone. Even more so when she sees a growing bit of interest within the dark eyes it has. Not liking the stare-down she is being given, Muffet stand back up before turning to face the other two present. From what she can see, both Sans and Frisk look to be in a heated, yet hushed, debate about something. While she did get the sneaking suspicion that it was about her, the young girl tiredly decides to let them continue. She did ask to interrupt whatever the human was doing. She didn't have any right, or energy, to stop them.

"Why are you here?" The voice of the flower reaches her ears as she watches them "Shouldn't you be at home resting?" At this point, she can't say she's surprised by those words. After experiencing the pure torture she just went through, a talking flower who helped to stop a blood-thirsty Frisk is easy to accept. Hell, it just makes her feel that her decision to come here was even more justified. It's proof that there are things happening that involves her friend. Ironically, it makes the reason why she was here even clearer.

"I was worried for Frisk." Looking over her shoulder, she meets the flower's gaze with her own "After a sudden outburst of violence like that, I couldn't just stand by and wait for them to come back." Her answer was quick and certain. The words just flowed naturally from her, but it must have had a different effect on the Flower. The living plant's eyes looked downward with a wistfully sad smile gracing its expression. Was that a look of regret? Or was it a look of longing?

Muffet felt that it might be both "That must be nice." Both confusion and sorrow blossomed from the sentient plant's words. What must be nice? To have friends? To have someone care for you? True, it is a touching thing. Does the flower not have any friends? She sneaks a glance back over at Frisk as they seem to be considering something. If Frisk was around here they must care for the living flower right? Maybe the creature just doesn't realize it yet.

Crouching down once more, the spider baker gives the being a kind smile "It is nice." Maybe not the best choice of words considering it just looks more bitter now "But you have a friend too." That sparked a much better reaction as the flower looked up at her in confusion "After all, you have Frisk as a friend right?" That sad smile is back again. Unsure of what she might of said wrong, she was going to try and comfort it. Unfortunately, the sound of Sans clearing his throat, which is technically impossible, catches her attention.

Turning to the skeleton, he looked just as casual as ever with his hands in his pockets "That, uh, was quite the display of determination." Determination? When did she display that? "So, since you managed to withstand the onslaught of alternate memories," Okay, she's heard that several times now. What are these 'alternative memories'!? "We've decided to include you in our little 'club', so to speak." Frisk and Sans share a glance before the human steps forward. With more and more questions being added onto the pile she already had, Muffet looks to him with confusion clear on her face.

"Muffet," Oh god it's nice to hear that voice again "What you are about to learn may be difficult to understand." That's probably a vast understatement at this point "It will change how you see everything." She's already made peace with the fact that there is a talking flower who could probably kill her, how much harder could this be? For a brief moment, the spider monster regrets thinking that. She's probably asking for trouble with that line of thinking.

"And you'll never see me in the same way again." Now that grabbed her attention "But before we can start, I need you to meet someone." No, no, no, no, no. Forget meeting someone, what did they mean by never seeing them the same way? Did Frisk really do something bad? Did the human that she ador- _likes_ really do something terrible enough to warrant Sans keeping a close watch on them?

Her questions would have to wait a moment as Frisk rests their hands over their chest. Watching with a bit of interest, she witnesses them slowly pulling their hand out. A chill ran down her spine as she saw a hint of light red following the human's hands. There was only one thing that she knows that is that color. She saw it for only a brief moment in their first encounter, but she could never forget the sight of it. The beautiful shine that it held, and the brilliance of the determination it represented. Why is Frisk pulling out their soul!? Her first instinct is to rush over and stop them, but something seemed wrong about what she is seeing. After a re-examination, the color of the soul looks a tad bit darker than what she remembers. The simple detail could be insignificant. Yet, it could also be the most important detail about the situation.

The small difference is enough to stop her as she watches the human continue to pull the soul out. Her eyes narrow at the thing as she gets a very bad vibe from the thing. A brief shot of terror goes through her that makes her stumble back in shock. In that moment, she felt more terrified than she had ever felt before. Facing Sans felt as easy as baking her goods compared to what she felt. Nothing good could come from this. She's certain of that. Her suspicions only grow as the entire soul is pulled out. With widening eyes, she sees that it isn't a complete soul. Instead a fragment of a soul hovers above Frisk's hands.

"This is who we would like you to meet." Muffet couldn't say a thing as she watches the fragment hover out in front of the human. She barely notices Frisk stepping away from the incomplete soul, but she keeps her focus on the fragment. Soon she's rewarded with a blackness oozing out of invisible crack that the soul piece has. The goopy substance flows down towards the floor before just stopping on the ground. With the stuff continuing to flow forth, it builds on top of itself while forming a rudimentary shape of a figure. It doesn't take long for the soul fragment to be overtaken by the unknown material, and even less time for it to form the rest of the shape.

There was something horrifically familiar about the shape before her. The young girl just couldn't place where she saw it before. Some movement catches her eyes and she looks beyond the shape to Frisk. The human seems to be shifting back and forth anxiously while trying to stand still. With a growing frown, she puts her focus back onto the dark figure presented to her. She's a bit startled to see it changing from black to several different colors. Brown hair is revealed on the figure's head, some of it's surface changes to a slightly light skin color, brown pants with brown shoes adorn the bottom half. However, the most noticeable details are the unnatural black eyes with crimson pupils, and the green and yellow shirt the figure is wearing.

The thing in front of Muffet slowly grins as widely as a psychopath wielding a machete would "Hello Little Miss Muffet," The simple way it says her name fills her with the urge to plead for her life "My name is Chara."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending there! Aren't I terrible? I said I would explain things, but all I did was make more questions arise. That wasn't my intent, but it happened regardless.
> 
> However! I cannot avoid answering a multitude of questions in the next chapter! Seriously, there is no way around it. So, I hope you guys can wait for the next chapter patiently.
> 
> If there was any parts that really confused you, please tell me. I might have to come back and rewrite certain parts if it's bad enough. I hope it wasn't.
> 
> So, I'll let you guys drive yourself mad with questions while I attempt to go write the next chapter. I'll need all the time I can get. However, if you need a boost of Undertale inspiration I suggest listening to 'Waters of Megalovania'. I've been listening to it the entire time I was writing.
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Or pm me telling me what you thought. It help motivate me greatly. Just please have an actual reason for reviewing if you're going to. Nice things, criticism, noticed errors are some of the acceptable things that would help me.
> 
> However, giving reviews that are negative for no reason, or proclaiming hatred for a character that is in the story is not acceptable. A good example of what not to do would be, and I'm just spitballing here, 'Red sucks'. See how pointless that kind of comment is?
> 
> Extra Note: I have kinda written two separate chapters that goes down two paths. One is more depressing than the other, so I do have the temptation to switch moods if the next chapter doesn't fit well with me. I want to warn people of that.
> 
> Anyways, I have to go for now! See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	13. Learning the Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another head start effort! If there is anything to comment on, it'll be at the bottom Author's note. I don't want to mix pleasantries here, so let's just get this started!
> 
> Or at least attempt to!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

With wide eyes Muffet takes in the sight before her. This thing's presence alone is enough to almost bring her to her knees. She can feel the killing intent radiating from this malicious being, its dark nature threatening to taint everything around it. The sheer idea that a being like this could exist is terrifying enough. However, the idea that Frisk had this creature inside of themselves without being corrupted? The human's determination is truly something to be admired. Yet, the night where Frisk lost it quickly goes through her thoughts. Maybe they didn't exactly have the best handle on this thing. She nearly trips over her own feet trying to step back when it takes a step towards her.

Distance is something she desperately wants to keep in between this 'Chara' and herself "What's wrong?" Another shiver goes down her spine as the distorted voice echoes inside her mind "What happened to that defiant attitude you had last time?" Last time? What could it mean by last time? It's getting hard for her to think as her entire being screams at her to run as fast as she could. For once both her mind and instincts agree on something. This being can, and most likely will, kill her. She needs to escape. Her eyes dart around for possible exits, but as far as she can tell there is only two. One through the roof of this area and one behind the human look-alike.

If she can just catch it off guard, she might be able to blind it before running "Stop Chara, You're scaring her!" It's strange how much a voice can calm a person down. Frisk's never wavering determination rings out as they confront the owner of the soul fragment. The crimson pupils of Chara leaves Muffet as it faces the human. A bit of terror leaves the arachnid girl when she escapes the thing's gaze allowing her to breathe a bit easier. Cautiously, she steps back more and examines the being as they lock eyes with Frisk. A knot in her stomach slowly grows as she recognizes some of the features it has.

Specifically, she recognizes the green and yellow shirt "You," Her words break the stare-down as the two look over at her "Y-you're the one that beat up my attacker." She feels a bit sick when a smirk grows on the psychopath's face. In a mocking manner, it crosses its arm over its stomach before bowing from the waist. Instead of feeling even sicker, Muffet surprises herself by feeling a bit of gratitude for this being. What's wrong with her? All this thing has done is terrify her and torture her inside her dreams, and she's grateful!? Frisk could have saved her without the violence.

"You're welcome Milady Muffet," Now she knows the thing is mocking her "I did what little Frisky would never do," Chara didn't rise from her bow as a sadistic grin spreads across her face "I actually protected you." She has a feeling it is just trying to get a rise out of her. Her mind warns her not to fall for it, her instincts tell her not to offend it. She didn't listen to either of them.

"Frisk could have done it better." Her words start to come out more confidently as she defends her friend. Admittedly, she is still terrified by this thing, yet a feeling of satisfaction blossoms in her when Chara's grin slowly fades. Her skin erupts into goosebumps when it straightens up. The snarl on its face is blood-curdling, but the young girl does her best to stand firm against it. She will not allow it to insult her closest friend. Still, standing against a raging fire is a difficult thing to do.

This time when Chara steps forward, Muffet resists to walk backwards "What was that?" They're not even face-to-face yet and her legs are threatening to give out. A chill envelops her as the murderous vibe gets much stronger up close than a little ways away. The killing intent alone feels like it'll make her crumble into dust. She remains as strong as she can despite of that. This is no time to back down from this being. If she does, there may be no hope left for her. Who knows if anyone in the room could even stop this creature?

Chara's eyes lock with her lower eyes in an attempt to psych her out by seeming to be towering above her "You heard me," In the back of her mind, the spider girl feels a bit proud of herself for not stuttering "Frisk could have done it better." Daring to go even further, she steps forward so their faces are only centimeters apart. She can feel her soul being tugged on harshly in every direction. If any weaker monsters were this close to Chara they would have turned to dust in an instant, but the spider monster is made of sterner stuff. It would take a single attack at this distance to finish her.

To her surprise, it was the being that would back off first. It's eyes gained an amused glint as it steps back. Even more surprising is the non-psychotic grin that spread across it's lips. The terrifying aura that it had just seemed to dissipate as Chara starts to laugh. It was a child-like laughter that was extremely off-putting to her. In confusion, she looked around to see if anyone else knew what the thing was so amused by. The flower looked to be smiling softly at the thing with a glazed look in its eyes. Almost as if the plant was reliving some memories. Filing that question away, she looked over to Frisk who just gives her a reassuring smile. While a bit comforting, the smile wasn't very helpful. A glance over to Sans reveals that he looks just as put back as she was.

"You picked a feisty one Frisk!" Why does this thing seem more hu- All thoughts ground to a halt as her mind focuses on what this thing said. Picked a feisty one? Picked a feisty one!? She doesn't know if the blush on her face flared up out of embarrassment or anger, but Muffet does know that she's going to attack Chara. Not kill, she couldn't win against it, but attack. It'll soothe her pride. She is not a prize to be picked out! No, she is a lady that demands respect unless you want to be in her next batch of baked goods. Not that this kid would make a good ingredient at all. Its way too rotten to be even considered. A large grin grows as she reminds herself that rotten ingredients can just be discarded.

Unfortunately, or fortunately really, a light blue light surrounds her body "Alright children, let's all calm down here." Damn it Sans, she really needs to kill this thing! "I believe we have some things to explain to Muffet anyways." Trying to force her arm to move really isn't working out at the moment. It feels like she's trapped in a brick wall! She can't even twitch her fingers. In the face of that, the young girl settles on glaring as harshly as possible at Chara. Her anger nearly explodes as the murderous being just smirks back at her.

"Muffet, please calm down." That sweet voice never does fail to soothe her nerves, but there is a principle to uphold here! "We have enough to do without this, so please just put it aside for now." Against her wishes, her rage subsides quite a bit as she listens to the human's words. Their gentle presence can be as much as an inconvenience than a blessing when she wants to end a nuisance. Too late to change that now though. So, not trusting herself to speak without insulting Chara, she lets out an annoyed huff before humming in acceptance. A few moments later her body is freed from Sans's magical grasp.

While tempted to glare at the skeleton, the spider girl just wants to figure out what is happening "Hm... where to start, where to start." Frustration grows rapidly as her tired mind is sick of delays. She came here to find out what happened with Frisk, so they better hurry up with this explanation. A gentle and warm sensation encompases her lower right hand. Surprised by the unexpected feeling, Muffet looks to her side to see Frisk holding her hand with another reassuring smile. With a sight like that, she can't help but smile back a bit. Maybe they can take a bit to straighten the facts out.

Of course the moment is ruined as the flower's voice shatters the fragile tranquility that the two of them had "Oh, just explain SAVE and LOAD!" Oh, the flames of a star going supernova has nothing on the intensity of Muffet's glare. If she had any form of fire magic at her disposal the entire room would have been engulfed in white hot flames that was guaranteed to kill everything inside.

Her glare target didn't even notice as it was glaring at the short skeleton "Eh, why not?" A small jolt has her head being forced to face Sans "It's as good as a place to start as any." Dropping his hand while his eye stops glowing light blue, the comedic guy looks over at Frisk "Now, you know what Determination is right?" Muffet nods in response as she resigns herself to listening to the skeleton. It was a well-known fact that Determination is the power of one's soul. No one quite knows why people have more Determination than others, but there have been some theories.

The most basic a theories states that Determination is gained based on a person's life, choices, and events that occurred to them. Whether this is negative or positive doesn't matter, all that does matter is that these things happened. With every choice that a person makes it will either raise or lower how much Determination they have. Other theories tried to expand on that basic principle with specific situations. Some Underground scientists believed that the more painful and scarring an event is, the more Determination will be gained or lost. Others stood firmly behind the idea that if one has a moral and idealistic nature, the Determination to do the right thing will give them power. Neither side made any headway on which was correct since both studies reached a confirmation of the situational effects, but they couldn't be both right.

There has been more than one lengthy argument about which side is correct throughout monster history "Good. So you know that the more Determination a person has the more powerful there soul is." She gives another nod as she wonders where this is heading "Now, what if I told you that there are people who have so much Determination that they could change history with their power?" The young girl is pretty sure the look she has to have must give her belief away. Change history? Essentially they could time travel? Has Sans started reading comics?

"Of course there is a limit." Oh, he actually means this "The person could only turn back the clock through their own life time." That's a pretty limited time-frame when eternity is being considered. In fact, that doesn't sound like it could have that much of an impact on anything. The only way it could is if that person could have done something world changing in their time on this planet. She muses that it could be possible, but the chances of that happening seem pretty low.

"Well, essentially SAVEs and LOADs are specific instances where that person could return to." Even with the fact a murderous being came out of her friend and she has talked to a living flower, this seems insane "Basically, the person has to recall a place or event that filled them with Determination and concentrate. They must will their power to break through the constraints of time." Okay, this joke has gone on far enough. There is no way that this is an actual thing!

"Or at least, that's what Frisk told me." Out of the corner of her eyes she sees the human nod in confirmation "Anyways, there's a catch to this. That person would have to have the most Determination out of anything that is living at the moment." So, if this is true, only one person could have this ability at a time? Well, that's a little comforting, but what does that have to do with Frisk? The only way that this could be related to them is if they...

With wide eyes, Muffet slowly turns to look at a sheepish looking Frisk "You catch on quick spider girl," Refusing to take her eyes off her friend, she just listens to the flower while contemplating the implications this has "Frisk has the most Determination that anyone has ever seen." She can't help but examine the human's expression as she takes in this information. Refusing to make eye contact, body tense, fidgeting with the collar of their jacket. Either Frisk is extremely embarrassed by something, or they are extremely uncomfortable about something.

Her eyes widen even further at that "Y-you can...?" Nothing else needed to be said as the human nods slightly. Her mind locks up as she struggles to realize the scope of what this could mean. Her entire relationship with the human could have been fabricated with trial and error while she could only perceive it as flawless behavior. Everything they experienced together could essentially be a lie or plan where they could get something to gain. Every comment, joke, compliment, and event she's had with them could be just another path they took for entertainment.

She nearly tears her hand away from theirs when a bit of rationality resettles into her thoughts. True, Frisk may be able to go back in time and redo everything they have done for different results. However, something within her whispers to the logical side of her mind. They may have that ability, but would they use it? It's a damning questions to the sudden onslaught of doubts. The human that she knows is kind hearted, puts everyone before themselves, and would put their life on the line in order to save others. Would a person like that manipulate others like the way she is envisioning? No, they wouldn't. A person like that would rather be tortured before doing that.

Taking a deep breath, she tightens her grip on Frisk's hand. Unless there is any evidence of them doing such acts she'll trust her friend. The squeeze back to her hand reinforces that idea. The implications may be harsh, but she'll stand by her companion until there is absolutely no choice. Maybe even beyond that. So, she pushes aside the doubts that she has to learn more about what is going on. The last lingering thought of doubt questions why the human looked so uncomfortable when the truth of their abilities was revealed. That one had to be forced aside harder than the others, but it was still done. Muffet gives her friend her own reassuring smile before turning back to Sans.

However, Sans was not standing before the two of them anymore "Before Frisk came along I was the most Determined person that lived." Chara's crimson eyes stared directly into the spider girl's with an amused smile curled on its lips "Despite that, I didn't quite know how to use it. For some reason I wasn't naturally inclined to the power." The being just gave a casual shrug as it turned "In fact, the first time I utilized my Determination was after I died." The arachnid monster's eyes widen at how the thing could say that so casually as it walked towards the sentient flower. Despite the shock, what it said made some sense. A common trait of human souls is the ability to exist after the physical body perishes.

Still, the way Chara spoke made it seem like death had no consequence to it "It was when Frisk fell into the Underground that my soul reacted." Crouching down, the murderous figure gently brushes some of Flowey's petals as its tone grows distant "Seeking refuge in a living body, I went into Frisky's while they were knocked out from the fall." Strangely, the living plant didn't seem to mind how Chara was handling it. Instead it had its own sorrowful look on its face as it allowed the owner of the soul fragment continue.

"Unbeknownst to Frisk or myself, the negativity of my soul began to affect them." Chara gave the flower a gentle pat on the petals before standing up again "It caused a shift in Frisk's behavior. For the first time, the temptation to kill those in their way was present." In the corner of Muffet's eyes she sees Sans shifting uncomfortably while his eyes vanish from his sockets "I guess it overwhelmed young Frisk. " Her eyes trails back to the speaking being. A knot in her stomach began to grow as she listened. This is starting to sound extremely bad.

"It was a simple Froggit that started them down a path that they would regret." She almost demanded to know what Frisk did to the Froggit, but feeling their trembling hand within her own she decided to give them a gentle squeeze instead "It was with that first Froggit that I was truly awakened. The actions that Frisk did sent strength back to my fractured soul." The trembling was only getting worse. All she could do was stroke the back of his hand caringly with her thumb. It seemed to do little for them.

Noticing a pause in the story, she focused back on Chara who in turn was looking at Frisk with an unreadable expression "I'll spare you the long version. Basically, I influenced then forced Frisk to continue down this path until my soul overtook theirs." A hint of sadistic glee sparked behind the mask the being is using, but it vanishes as quickly as it came "Using their body, I destroyed everything." A harsh chill goes down her spine. The sense of fear has grown to intense levels throughout the room, but she tries to keep herself together. Her hand clutches the human's a bit tighter.

"The void left afterwards was rather boring, so I went back to when Frisk entered the Underground." The spider girl's body started to tremble in a combination of horror and fear "Amazingly, my soul retained the power it gained. So, I decided to experiment" This being forced Frisk to do that entire thing again? "I would get rid of everything in my path in as many different ways as I could." And it was a game to it!? She could feel herself becoming ill from the thought alone, but some visions pass through her mind's eyes again. Were those..? No, she can't think of that right now.

"After numerous resets, I grew bored of that as well." A wry smile spreads across Chara's lips "It was there when everything truly changed." The shift in tone drew Muffet in slightly "I decided to let Frisk do things their way." Was that a tinge of hope in the being's voice? The change was slight, but it certainly sounded like a dash of hopefulness was in there. She barely notices the trembling of the hand she is holding is slowing. Perhaps there is a bit of good news somewhere in this tale. There must be!

"I did my best to hold my destructive impulses in so Frisk could do everything by themselves, and then I just went along for the ride." The fragmented soul holds up its hand before ticking off locations with its fingers "The Ruins, Snowdin, Hotlands, the Core, and Asgore's castle. Throughout their journey, not a single monster was slayed from any of those places." With everything learned about this being so far, this fact seemed far against it. Yet, it smiled softly as it spoke. Almost as if the creature was glad that Frisk never did that.

That soft smile grew as it chuckled "They made so many different friends in so many different ways that I was amazed." Chara shakes her head as if it was still in disbelief "I just didn't think it was possible, yet Frisky here proved me wrong." With her own smile on her lips, Muffet turns towards her companion. They looked so much better now with a bashful smile growing. The sight was rather adorable while being endearing at the same time. The human could be so humble at times.

"Then the time came that I was going to reset everything once more." Okay, that was a mood crusher "I was going to do it when Frisk was sleeping in Toriel's house, but something happened that I didn't foresee." Confused, yet interested, the young girl looked over at the fragmented soul "Just as I grew more powerful with every monster slayed, Frisk had grown more powerful with every person spared." When Chara looked to the side of Muffet, the young girl knew that Frisk and it had locked eyes "When I tried to send us back, they used their own Determination to cancel it out." A happy smile nearly broke out on the baker's face, but she subdues it for the moment. There was more to be explained.

"The power I had gained through multiple slaughtering runs had been matched with the power gained in a single run," That was very heartening to hear, and the fact that the two had canceled each other out helped soothed some left over doubts "I was reasonably taken aback by this, and I half expected that I would have to fight Frisk in their own soul: however, with Frisk being Frisk, they provided an alternative solution." With raised eyebrows, Muffet looked over at her companion while mulling over possibilities. The human was undoubtedly a pacifist, but that doesn't mean they won't fight back.

In actuality, Frisk can be one hell of a fighter. The young spider monster had been privy to one of Undyne's 'rematches' with her friend. The way the young human moved was almost awe inspiring. They never stayed in one place as they dodged and weaved through magical spears. It was clear that the former royal guard captain was easily outclassed in mobility, and Frisk could have countered with ease multiple times. Though, in the end they won without giving a single strike. Instead, the heroine of the monsters had collapsed in exhaustion. She still tried to continue despite that, so Frisk playfully surrendered to help her keep her pride. Strangely, Undyne took the surrender in her stride. The way she handled it suggests that it wasn't the first time it happened.

"Frisk suggested that we continue on with this timeline, but if something terrible enough happens we would go back far enough to stop it." Snapping out of her memory, she listened with great interest "Of course, they also promised that if we both agreed on a course of action that was violent I would handle it." If the two of them agreed on something violent? Those moments must be far and few between. With an amused smile, she mentally jokes to herself that Sans would stop telling jokes far before that ever arises.

Almost as if the being could read her mind it smiled wickedly "I never thought it would happen, but a couple nights ago proved otherwise." A frown grew on Muffet's lips as she is thinks about that. Frisk agreeing to violence? That doesn't seem quite right. Actually, it doesn't sound right at all! In what incidents would they ever allow themselves to commit a violent act? It takes a few moments, but when it clicks her eyes widens greatly. Wait, Frisk agreed to beating down the person who attacked her? She almost gets whiplash from the speed she turned to look at the blushing Frisk. The fact that they would fight for her was flattering, but it was also extremely jarring.

She mentally promises herself to speak to Frisk at a later time "However, so I don't get any ideas about forcing my will upon Frisk, we enlisted the help of these two." Chara gestured to Sans and Flowey off handedly before smirking "Not that they could actually stop me if I tried, but it helped soothe Frisky's nerves." From what she could tell, Sans took the comment in his stride as he shrugs. However, Flowey shrunk into itself with a horrified look on its face. Was the living plant scared of the being? She wouldn't blame the thing, but that's the first time she's seen it with an emotion other than anger and sadness. How strange.

In all honesty, most of her questions had been answered by the story she was told. Muffet now knows why Frisk went berserk, where this Flower came from, and even learned some extra information about the human as well as Sans. Still not a lot on Sans though, he is remaining quite the enigma. Putting that aside, she's glad to find out about this before she went out of her mind. Yet, among the few questions she had left there was one that stood out as odd. Rather it was so out of place based on the information she was given so far.

"Chara," The fragmented being hums out an acknowledge that it heard her as it returned to Flowey's side "Why did you accept Frisk's solution? It sounds like it goes against everything you just told me about yourself." The sentient flower and murderous being shared a glance before cracking grins "Surely, it wasn't only to experience something new?" The human look alike nods a bit as it locks eyes with her. The arachnid monster could never had expected the reply given to her.

With its smile transforming into a mischievous grin, Chara shrugged "Well, I might not have accounted for the fact that Frisk's soul could affect mine as well." Slightly flabbergasted by the response, Muffet stare at the fragmented soul as it shrugged once more.

It was Sans who voiced the opinion with a bit of strained laughter in his tone "Who knew, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is so much better. I have to tell you something right now, I wrote a completely different ending to this chapter first. It would have had Muffet reacting poorly to Frisk's abilities to SAVE and LOAD.
> 
> Chara would have hurt Muffet, Sans would have taken Frisk away, and Frisk would have gotten backhanded. After spending some time thinking about it, I decided that I wouldn't like the path it was going. That would have been permanent damage to their relationship, and I wouldn't go for it.
> 
> I took the first half of that chapter and re-wrote the second half to reflect Muffet's trust in Frisk. The unfortunate trade-off for this change is...I honestly don't know where to go from here. I had a path for the other one involving Muffet reflecting and traversing the Underground so she could get to the surface once more.
> 
> Yeah, it was going to be depressing. Very depressing. Also, I'm not sure I could write that much reflection over five separate areas of the Underground.
> 
> So, tell me what you thought through whatever means suits you! I'll hopefully have a general plan for the next chapter soon.
> 
> Also, be honest: Who saw Chara being that way instead of evilly taking over Frisk? Did I do a good job of leading you to the right only to get hit with a positive left hook?
> 
> Anyways, I have to go for now! See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	14. Memories of What Could Have Happened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm... Depending on which path I took, this chapter may never see the light of day. On the chance that it does though, hello everyone! I'm currently rocking out to a remix of Hopes and Dreams that has someone speaking as Asriel. It is awesome!
> 
> Seriously, hearing Asriel speak in the middle of the song takes me back to the final pacifist fight. It's great! We got to see Frisk's Determination in full force in that battle!
> 
> On an unrelated note, let's start the chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. I also don't know what I'm doing, but that's no surprise is it?

'Who knew right'? This thing just admitted to killing everything in the Underground, more than once, but since it erased what it did everything is fine? Chara could go berserk again if it gets bored. Hell, the murderous being had full on admitted that boredom was one of the only reasons it kept on killing everyone over and over again. Now, Muffet can only stare at the human look alike as it chats casually to Flowey. It's strange to see the juxtaposition of what she was just told and what is happening right now. Disregarding the fact it is talking to a living flower, Chara looks like just another kid with a love for striped shirts. Yet, it may be the deadliest threat to the world's peace.

All it would take is something happening to Frisk's soul and everything would be ruined. The human couldn't stay on guard forever. Her lips twist downward in a concerned frown as she looks over at her friend. Actually, it doesn't look like they're on their guard at all. They look more relaxed and at ease now than anything else. A small chill goes through her as a thought occurred to her. What if that is Chara's plan? To strike Frisk's soul when they're not expecting it. Something within herself feels as if that was a strong possibility. It's strange, but it is almost as if her soul is trying to warn her what this being is capable of. More visions flash before the spider girl's eyes of Chara standing before her wielding several different weapons.

See could barely make out a pink glove before feeling the sensation of being struck by a fist. The sudden throb of intense pain through her chest nearly makes her cry out in agony. Yet, she manages to bite her lip and keep it to herself. Her mind races as she wonders what these visions could be. Why does she feel such intense pain after each one? Glancing around carefully, she considers her options. Chara is obviously out. The psychopath might just laugh in enjoyment if she told it. Flowey seems to know a decent bit about what's happening. However, with how many visions she got of that thing's vines striking her down she'd rather not talk to the weed about anything personal.

Frisk is always an option. Kind, caring, and always understanding. They may be the best choice for her question. The words are already on the tip of her tongue when another thought occurred to her. She saw the soul fragment come from inside of the human, and Chara admitted to using their body as a safe haven. Wouldn't that mean that they're connected? Influencing each other would certainly be evidence to this idea. So, anything that she told them would most likely be shared with the being living within their body. As much as she trusts her companion, the young lady would prefer to keep that murderous thing from knowing any form of weakness about her. For the sake of caution, she would be forced to keep this from them.

That would leave Sans as the only person remaining to talk to. Scanning the area, Muffet soon sees the short skeleton standing near a rocky wall with his eye sockets devoid of pupils. The sight still unnerves her a tad bit, but compared to everything else that has happened that day it really isn't that intimidating anymore. It does become a lot stranger when his face shifts towards her and Frisk. An extremely unpleasant sensation crawls down her back as his blank eyes stares through her. Still, he is the only remaining person left to get her answer. Gathering her wits she prepares to- Another vision flashes before her mind's eye. This time Chara is twirling a wooden stick in her hand casually with a murderous grin on its face.

The arachnid monster could only widen her eyes before she feels her body being battered as the being in her vision swings the branch. The pain isn't as deep seated as the punches she got from the last vision, but each swish of the branch leaves a stinging reminder of the strikes. Her knee nearly gives out as a lash hits the back of her leg. Barely managing to keep herself up, she does her best to hide her pained expression. She couldn't notice anything different about the comedic skeleton's expression, but she just has the feeling that he picked up on what's happening to her. Or at least an inkling of something wrong happening. She partially hopes that's true since it would make it easier to approach him about the pain.

A small gasp escapes Muffet's lips as a vision of Chara playing around with a small toy knife comes to the forefront of her- "Hey, Muffet you doing okay?" She lets out an embarrassing yelp of surprise as she feels a boney hand on her shoulder "Wow, didn't know you were part jumping spider." Despite the joking nature of the comment, she couldn't help but turn to the skeleton that is now right next to her with a glare. Having experienced his teleportation ability first hand, even though she doesn't remember what happened during it, she wasn't as surprised as she could have been. Before she could make a snappy comeback the young girl nearly doubles over as she feels dull plastic pierce into her gut multiple time.

There was no way to hide that as she unwillingly lets a strangled cry out. The pain is too much to conceal. Her center left hand immediately covers the spot that she felt the surge of pain coming from, but there is no sign of injury. No blood seeping out, no actual physical object there, and no stab mark through her clothing. She suspected that would be true, yet having the proof of that still stunned her. How could she be being hurt when nothing is actually happening to her? God, she can even feel her body becoming colder as if her blood is being slowly drained from her veins. The contrasting sensations of what is actually happening and what seems to be happening sends her mind into a spin. It's hard to grasp what is real and what isn't.

The only thing that she could say for certain is that Frisk's hand is tightening around her own "Golly, it looks like she's in great pain!" Oh great, the Flower noticed "I wonder which one of the times you killed her she is experiencing?" Chara must have noticed as well at this point. So much for trying to keep this from the others. Now they all know that she's in pain. Strangely enough, she feels another hand grasp her upper left hand before being led forward. With her eyes scrunched up in pain, the young arachnid monster can't see who's leading her.

She doesn't really need to see though to feel the heat coming off the hand "W-where are y-you leading m-me C-Chara?" With no reason to trust the malicious being, her desire to resist is a strong thing to ignore. However, when she sees said being wielding a frying pan with a charcoal black bottom in her mind's eye the spider monster could only brace herself. Her body tenses up as she feels the painful sensation of metal striking against her physical form. The force of the blows should have shattered her bones, but again there is no physical consequences to these assaults upon her. Dully, she registers the pleasant feeling of her body being warmed by something.

It's a small comfort, but not an unwanted one "Don't start complaining now," The strange contradiction of the careful leading and harsh tone makes it a bit hard to figure out its motive "Now just relax." How could she relax? She's just been punched, lashed, and after seeing the fragmented soul wielding weapons! Her body still feels the effects of each attack on her. The back of her leg hurts when she moves it in certain ways. Her lower ribs feel like they should be shattered from being struck, and she can feel a warm trickling of blood streaming from invisible wounds. She has every right to be tense from this!

The sound of something breaking through the earth is really not helping her relax either "Muffet, trust me." Now Frisk's voice, on the other hand, can easily help her calm down a bit "We need you to sit down here." The young girl attempts to open her eyes through the residual pain that she felt, but a vision of Chara wielding an actual knife makes her shut her eyes in fear of what she would feel next. Whimpering pathetically, she lets herself be seated down on something that feels a tad bit cold but also very smooth. It's not the most comfortable thing she has sat on, but at the moment she just clutches onto Frisk's hand desperately.

Instead of being pierced through once more, Muffet lets out a shaky gasp of pain as she feels the tip of the knife cutting into her flesh slowly. Starting from the underside of her upper left hand, the knife traces down leaving a horrifying sensation behind. The threat of the sharp weapon piercing through her body is terrifying. She knows that the weapon would be plunged into her sooner or later, but the anticipation is making the wait torture. As the trail continues from her arm over to her collarbone, the arachnid girl's pulse started racing in fear. Would she be forced to feel the sensation of gargling on her own blood? Even if it isn't real that would be horrifying. What if it tricks her lungs into thinking that they can't receive air?

The idea sparked the desire to know over her terror for a mere moment "W-what's happening to me?" As the blade's point starts to trace up the side of her neck, she cranes her head away from the blade. Rationally she realizes that it just exposes more area to exploit. However, fear completely overrides rationality as her eyes scrunch tighter together. Her body starts to shake as a flush of adrenaline goes through her system. A slight hiss of pain reaches her ears as her fingers dig into someone's hand. In her state of panic, she couldn't really tell which one she is hurting. Yet, she couldn't stop. The physical feeling of what is actually happening is feels like an anchor to the real world.

"You're experiencing the effects of alternative timelines," What the hell is that supposed to mean!? "The experiences that alternative versions of you had are bleeding over to this reality." That makes even less sense than the last one! Any attempt to demand for a better explanation is silenced as the spider monster feels the knife digging slightly into her throat. Her breath hitches as her body tenses up from the feeling. Her free hands immediately latch onto the sides of whatever she is sitting on in an effort to not move in the slightest. For a moment she could see Chara grinning widely in her mind's eye. Its arm moving in sync with the feeling of the knife grazing against her neck.

As terrifying as the vision of was, the scene was shattered as she heard Sans speak "Stay focused on your senses," Her mind latched onto his words in the hopes of stopping the knife before it feels like it plunges into her "Use the area around you to keep your mind tethered here." Swallowing nervously, Muffet tried to work against her fear. At first, she focuses on what she has in her grip. The two warm hands on opposite sides of her certainly helps while the smooth material underneath her aids a little. It isn't enough though as the tip of the blade traces up to underneath her chin.

"Christ!" Chara's pained exclamation startles the arachnid baker while some warm liquid trickles down her hand "Open your eyes damn it!" Surprisingly, her eyes snapped open almost instantly after the command. Light immediately shines in her four non-covered eyes making her vision impaired for a moment. The sound of pain filled grunts takes her focus away from the vision. Looking to her left she sees her vision's tormentor glaring at her with an almost murderous vibe to it. While the slight twitch of its eyes are a bit curious, the sensation of the warmed liquid going down her arm garners her attention.

Frowning slightly, she follows the trail of blackened liquid up her arm to her hand. Her eyes widen as she sees her fingertips embedded into the back of Chara's hand with the being's 'blood' bubbling up around her fingers. Faintly, she could feel the sensation of the knife's tip fading from her flesh, but the young girl was a bit preoccupied with the strange sight coming up from the dangerous being beside her. This thing came from Frisk right? So, it doesn't actually have a body. However, if that was true then how can she feel the warm sensation of skin or draw something akin to blood from its body?

What exactly is Chara right now? The thought occupies her mind as she mindlessly stares at the injuries she's just caused to it. After a few sluggish movements she finally pries her fingers out of the being's 'flesh'. Dimly, she can hear the fragmented soul muttering something underneath its breath, but she is more focused on the blackened tips of her fingers. Is this the substance of the soul? Her eyes furrow as she stares more intently at the staining liquid. The texture of the stuff feels oddly similar to corn syrup. A small laugh escapes her lips as she realizes she unwittingly made a comparison to fake movie blood. Still, for some reason the sight of this stuff intrigues her.

So, when it faded off of her fingers she was reasonably surprised "You alright there?" Blinking out of her focused state, Muffet turns to face a concerned Sans. For a moment she couldn't really place why he was worried. It didn't take long for her to realize that she can't feel the knife point on her throat anymore. In fact, she couldn't feel any pain that corresponded with the visions she had. Her free hands gently check around her stomach, lower chest, and throat in disbelief. It just ended randomly?

"God damn it," If she wasn't so busy checking to see if her body is actually injured, the young arachnid would have looked over at Chara "How come she only tore up my hand!?" Pausing for a moment, she stares at the ground in front of her in confusion. Only that being's hand? What other hand could she have- Her eyes widen greatly as she slowly looks at the hand that is still intertwined with Frisk's. Her blood quickly rushes to her face as she stares at their connected hands in shy embarrassment. The human was holding her hand the entire time she was suffering through that.

That is very comforting, yet also very awkward at the same time "S-so, what happened to me?" Her eyes dart away from the sight of their hands together as she tries to focus on what just occurred. Her cheeks warm further as she is now sharply aware of Frisk's hand in hers. The few people to look at around her certainly aren't helping with distracting her. With its wounds already closed, Chara has an amused smirk on its lips. The glint in the being's crimson eyes suggests that it knows something, but Muffet could only look away once more. Its gaze is a bit too strong for her to handle at the moment. Sans is only a little better. His grins seems to be stretched a bit larger while his concern seems to be keeping him from making a joke about the situation.

Luckily, Flowey looked to be annoyed by the sight instead of enjoying it "Since you're unable to understand how the smiling trashbag said it," And it's explaining what happened, so at least she can look at the sentient plant "You just felt what happened to you in other timelines." What happened to her in other timelines? Her mind can grasp that better than whatever the short skeleton said. However, the question of how still remains.

"We haven't quite figured out how the memories get to us, or why they make us relive the torture in them." The flower is quickly bumping up more approval from her with its unprompted explanation "All we know is that whatever happened to us at the end of our live in an alternative timeline affects us in this one." Still managing to follow, the spider child frowns at that "Since these thing actually occur in another timeline, we just refer to them as 'Alternate Memories'." Well that information would have been lovely before she got a massive barrage of those. Sighing slightly, she shakes her head a bit to clear that thought. They had no way to tell if she was going to react like that.

"I'm curious though," Her stomach starts to twist as she hears that "What did you pain did you re-experience?" The glare that she unleashes suggests that the plant may be meet with a butcher's knife for that question. She doesn't want to share that kind of information! That would worry Sans and Frisk unnecessarily. It may also give Chara ammo for any future conflict it may put them all through. That simply wouldn't do at all. If the malicious being reenacted any of the visions she just had, the result could be a broken spider monster. No, she'll keep these to herself for the sake of the people she cares for as well as herself.

Sans managed to beat her to the punch though "Don't want to say? Heh," It's still rather jarring to hear the cheerful skeleton's laugh sound so hollow "That's alright. I know that I don't want to share my own." The almost depressed tone that his words have silenced her instantly. That sound coming from the pun-loving guy just shouldn't be possible. He's always been a source of never ending humor that is so painfully bad that a person can't help but smile. A small thought that she would rather swat away invades her mind: what if his cheerful demeanor was just a farce? Is it possible that he just keeps that up as a front to hide the pain he is experiencing? Or, did something break him in one of the other timelines, and this is the result?

That depressing train of thought halts so fast that it should have been derailed from the track. His words, rather than the tone, registers to her a bit late, but they still do. He has his own to deal with? She doesn't know why she didn't think the others wouldn't have their own. Maybe, she was wrapped up with her own pain at the moment. Scanning around the room, the young girl can feel a sense of solemn remembrance coming from everyone. The flower's stem was hunched over so much that its own petals casted a shadow over its face. She could barely see its lips in a straight line. No frown, no sad smile, just a straight line. The sight is unusual, but a part of her pangs in sorrow as she sees it.

Her center left arm moves over her chest for some reason as she gets a different kind of vision. In the midst of darkness she can see the small figure of Frisk standing before her. Their soul looked battered and cracked, yet it still remained intact. Rather than hearing it, she can feel laughter sending a tremor through her entire being. A feeling in her chest constricts her breathing as she can feel her mind being filled with the words 'behold my TRUE power!' Energy is sapped from her as multiple volleys of multi-colored fireballs come from the sides of her vision towards the human. Her heart nearly still as she watches them jump back and forth away from the projectiles. However, their attempts appear to be in vain as one magical projectile hits their soul dead on.

She nearly screams as she see Frisk's very being crack straight down the middle before separating entirely. If she could, the young baker would have covered her eyes, but she was cruelly unable to shield her visions. So, instead she prays as hard as she can for their safety. A warm sensation builds up in her chest as she pours out her desire for her friend, and it doesn't seem like she's alone in that. From all around her she can sense numerous people appearing from seemingly nowhere while the warm feeling inside her flows through her body. The soothing heat soon spreads everywhere as everyone lets their hopes flow forth. Whether it was them or something else, their prayers are answered as the human's soul shudders and shakes. As if refusing the fate dealt, the combination of Frisk's very being fuses back together with no sign of damage.

As suddenly as it had occurred, the vision ceases. The experience leaves her extremely confused. That didn't seem like anything Flowey had explained. However, while she has many questions she couldn't bring herself to demand answers from the sentient plant. Slowly moving on, her eyes look over at Chara. While she can fully admit to not really caring for the thing, its distant expression is somewhat haunting. To her, it looked more like the fragmented soul was reliving multiple experiences in rapid succession. That was only a guess though. What is stranger is the fact that its gaze is directly on Sans. Speaking of the short skeleton, his eyes are devoid of pupils once more. Yet, a flicker of light blue could be seen in his left eye from time to time.

Muffet just couldn't make heads or tails of what that was suppose to signal. Her gaze passes him before locking onto Frisk. Ignoring the fact that both of their hands are interwoven still, her heart gives a painful throb at the haunted look on their face. There is no clue or sign of what they could be thinking about, but whatever it is they are clearly affected by it. While their eyes didn't quite lose their determined shine, it looks like it is almost gone. Their lips are in a strained line that are trembling in some unknown emotion. Strangely, their body isn't tensed up or anything. Instead, it is actually rather limp. Sadness ruthlessly goes through her at that fact. To her it meant a sign of acceptance. The human didn't look like they would fight against whatever they are thinking.

It was that thought that forced her to act. With a bit more force than necessary, the spider monster pulls on her friend's hand. Their haunted look was quickly replaced by a surprised expression as they fall against her. Not quite what she was planning, but she rolled with it by wrapping all five of her free hands around him securely. Words failed her as she couldn't think of anything to help comfort Frisk. Was there anything that could be said anyways? Probably not. However, words may not be needed. At least, that's what she got as they leaned further into her embrace. A soft smile spreads across her lips as she rubbed their back in a comforting manner. She could only hope that they realized that so many people would be there for them should they need it.

"Heh, looks like Frisk is really tangled up with the spider." Oh crap, she forgot about the others "They look as snug as a bug," Okay, spiders are not bugs! "Wonder if she's got them wrapped up in her web." And now her cheeks must be on fire. Mustering up all of her fierceness, she channels it all into glaring at Sans. Predictably, he just grins larger while giving her a shrug. It really should have infuriated her, but when she felt Frisk shaking with a bit of laughter she decided to let it go. At least for the moment. Later, she may have to inform Papyrus on Sans's new desire to take up jogging with him.

That ought to be a good form of revenge "Wow, not even a few minutes out of your own horror and you comfort Frisk." Just ignore the murderous thing, it might go away "Yep, you got it bad for them." She would have launched a full on assault on the thing with her webs for that comment. However, when she looked over to Chara its body was being absorbed back into the fragmented soul. She didn't like the idea of it returning back into Frisk. If she had her way, the piece of soul would be ensnared in several feet of webbing where it floats. Yet, she knows she has no say over the matter.

The arachnid girl would have to settle for holding onto her companion as Chara returns to the sanctuary of the human's body. Sighing in two parts relief and acceptance, she slowly stands up while helping Frisk stand. Her cheeks flare up further when they grace her with a soft smile full of thankful kindness. As much as she would love to stare back into their eyes, they still had two more people around them. So, in order to avoid more teasing she tears her eyes away. Unfortunately, that meant dealing with Sans's extremely amused grin as he walks to them.

"Can we just go back now?" Hopefully speaking first would cease any further pun-filled teasing for the moment. Her eyes narrow at the comedic skeleton faster than she thought possible when his grin widens further. God help him should he desire to make things worse. She just might tell Papyrus that he wants the full Undyne work out. Then everyone would see how funny the guy could be when on the floor begging for the torture to end.

She must have had an evil glint in her eyes or something because the guy keep his comments to himself "Alright, alright. Let's head back." His eyes shift beyond Frisk and herself "Now behave yourself Flowey," She can't help but feel a bit sorry for the flower as the skeleton's grin widens further "Maybe you can visit! You need to stay rooted in society after all." Multiple vines erupt around us. The flower must not have enjoyed that one at all.

She really couldn't blame it though. In an instant, Sans has a hand on her shoulder before the colors around them blur together. They may have escaped the danger of an annoyed Flowey, but they are in far greater danger. The danger of embarrassment!

Their hands are still laced together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'll be stopping here! That went a little strangely, but I think it worked out well enough. I hope.
> 
> Anyways, I got a lot of reviews telling me that I've chosen the right path by going with the more cheerful route. I also got just good reviews in general, so that's a plus!
> 
> I'm not sure what else to say other than thank you. Please review, if you want, or Pm me. It really helps motivate me to continue. Still not sure where to go from here, but I might just do some fluffy moments for a bit until I get an idea.
> 
> We'll just have to see.
> 
> Anyhow, I have to go for now! See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	15. Relaxation Needed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Here comes a, hopefully, fluffy and cute chapter! I don't really know if it will be, but I'll try to make it that way.
> 
> Nothing else to really say since I'm writing this directly after posting the last chapter. Well, there is one thing. If I manage to complete this on time then there is one thing I must say:
> 
> Happy Birthday CannonFodder18! I might as well dedicate this chapter to you. I would like to say in advance, I am so sorry.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

The blur shifted into the darker spectrum of colors as the three, technically four, make it to their destination. When her vision was able to tell the actual details the colors were suppose to make, Muffet looked around to see that they've ended up in her bedroom. Yet, something seemed very off. Looking around, she tried to figure out what it could be. Her web is completely intact. The lights are still on. The spiders are amassing directly above while some come down to check on her. Frowning, she can't quite place what's wrong about her bakery. Everything seems to be in perfect order. She can't even hear anything being jostled around out in the front of her home. It takes her a few more moments to fully take that in.

When it does her eyes widen. Is no one here? How is that possible? When they left, the place was packed full of people! She would have gone out to check on her precious bakery, but when she tried to go forward her body was pulled back by her arm. Surprised by the unexpected force, she stumbles back into a solid body. An arm immediately wraps around her, she suspects to steady her, as the body's warmth envelops her. The sensation is quickly becoming very familiar to her. Not that she minds of course. Craning her head back, she looks up at the slightly blushing visual of Frisk as they look back down at her as well. Faintly, she can feel the human's heartbeat against her head.

Huh, it's speeding up "Never thought I would say it but," Oh god no, please have mercy from this horrible fate "Chara was right. You're really," Any divine being above, please smite him before he can, "Falling for Frisk." It's a miracle within itself that her face hasn't burst into white hot flames. A groan of agony escapes her lips as she maneuvers her head to glare at the short skeleton once more. It still proves to be useless as he is laughing to himself. Well, there is still something she could do to stop his teasing.

"I thought you might have been-" Whatever his next pun was interrupted as a spread shot of webbing was launched at him. Based on the widening eye sockets, the spider monster could proudly assume that she had caught the evasive skeleton off guard. However, off guard or not, Sans is infamous for his ability to avoid everything and anything. Whether it be responsibilities or actual attacks, the only person who could give him a challenge in dodging is the human holding her. Although, now that she knows about his teleportation ability it makes a lot more sense on how he does that. Needless to say, she now has a spread of webbing stuck on the wall.

At least she could easily remove that "What? Did that not tickle your funny bone?" Okay, skeleton puns are much more preferable than- "Or did you want to fall for them without commentary?" That's it. She is not going to stand for this. The skeleton may think he's funny, but there is a line that has been crossed. As reluctant as she is to remove herself from the alarmingly comfortable embrace, Muffet stands with a startlingly calm facade. Masterfully faking a sweet and kind smile, she finally removes her hand from Frisk's. Her hand quickly feels extremely cold from the lack of shared warmth. It's a tad surprising how warm the human's hands were.

However, she would not let that distract her from the righteous mission she has "Oh Sansy," Clasping her center hands together in front of her while clapping her top hands together, her smile widens "I must admit that you have a way with words." She watches as the skeleton raises an eye socket in caution. Oh, it's far too late for that. He already opened the gates of hell. Perhaps something in her expression belays her intentions, but sweat starts to trail down his skull.

"Muffet," Humming, she walks out of the bedroom and into the kitchen "Now let's not do anything hasty here," Him teleporting in front of her didn't slow her in the slightest as she merely sidesteps around him "C-Come on. It was just a few good natured jokes." That does make her pause. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder at him. They lock eyes for a few moments before she widens her smile. She could practically feel the light shining off the fang closest to the comedic skeleton.

That may have been a bit too evil looking, but she can't deny that the startled look on his face is completely _delicious_ to see. Wasting no more time, she looks back in front of her while walking through the kitchen. In her peripheral vision she notes that the place is completely clean. Not a single speck of dust or flour anywhere. Either someone cleaned the place, or her kitchen wasn't disturbed at all. Good thing since she would have hunted down all that was involved. The number of ways she could make them suffer when found are far too numerous to count out. People just don't appreciate the number of uses that webbing has!

Reaching the front of the bakery, she sees Sans lounging at one of the booths with his left eye lazily looking over at her "You know, that expression on your face." His eye glows light blue for a moment "It's looks like someone about to make a really bad decision." Trying to intimidate her? That may have worked when they left. However, the mental and semi-physical torture she had to endure in the past few hours alone makes it fall short. Plus, the arachnid girl could see that he's sweating much more fiercely. So, she decided to let her actions speak for her. With a charming smile she merely reached over to the landline phone with her bottom right hand.

Pleasantly humming, she starts to dial a number from memory "I mean it Muffet," She glances up at the skeleton that is suddenly right in front of her "Don't do this." A small shiver goes through her body as she is reminded of the sensation of something crawling down her back. The feeling is enough to pause for a moment as she considers the options before her. On one hand, he did take it too far with his puns. Then again it is one of his traits to take his puns to the extreme. He probably didn't mean any actual harm from the actions. Which brings the other side of the argument. She genuinely likes the guy. He has always gone out of his way to make others laugh and smile.

It would be terrible to get on his bad side "Will you stop making unfounded suggestions?" Even with his eye alight with his magic, the skeleton still has the nerve to give her a look "Don't even think of saying what you are thinking." The hiss in her voice was probably unnecessary. Yet, she doubts that it was intimidating at all. After all, her face feels like it's on fire again. Still, she refuses to back down on this matter. It takes a few minutes, but her stubbornness pays off when Sans's eye loses the blue color while he sighs. With a casual shrug he nods in acceptance. Nodding herself in satisfaction, the arachnid child places the phone on the receiver.

"Let me give you some advice Little Miss Muffet," Her nickname is back it seems "Don't wait forever. I can tell you that sometimes life only gives you a small window of time to do things." Despite the entire dispute they just had, she couldn't help frowning in worry as the skeleton's pupils fade "Trust me, missing those chances hurt so much." He lets out a shuddering sigh before his pupils return. It was only a glimpse, but she got to see what is really going on beneath his smiling exterior. What internal battle has he been fighting? She mentally shakes the thought from her mind as she reminds herself that only he would know.

A odd squeak startles her from her thoughts "Y-you managed to back him down?" Her body tenses slightly as she hears Frisk's distorted voice "I couldn't do that at knife point!" Yep, Chara is in control of the human's body. Taking in a deep breath she turns to face her controlled companion. Sure enough, a shifting vision of Chara can be seen over Frisk's body. A frown sets on her lips as she notes this is the first time she has actually seen the malicious being when it is in control of her friend. It seems that instead of the actual body changing, the fragmented soul projects its image over them while the body moves.

That certainly isn't what she was expecting "He would never back down! Never!" It is almost as unexpected as the look of admiration on their/its face. The sight threatens to make her heart stop and flutter at the same time. Letting out a groan of exasperated annoyance, she pinches the bridge of her nose with her top right hand. This day is not going how she expected at all. Then again, how exactly did she expect it to happen? Frisk walking into her bakery before explaining that he lost it? That would have been so much more simple than this time manipulation scenario. If she hadn't had seen, felt, and heard Chara she would have thought this entire thing was an elaborate prank.

To add onto the fun the throbbing in the back of her head is back! It hurts just as much as she remembers it too. Her eyes scrunch up as she endures the pain while taking deep breaths. Calm down, she just needs to calm down. If she can do that then she can make sense of this all, or she can just ignore it all. That certainly is a wonderful option. Just pretending that this day never happened at all. The spider baker could just chalk it up to exhaustion or stress! God knows that she's stressed out at the moment. What she wouldn't give for a good night sleep with her pet to snuggle up to. Just laying down on her comfy web, petting her darling cupcake spider while drifting off to a nice slumberland where everything is per-

Just like that the tension starts to drain from her body as she feels a pair of warm hands working their thumbs into her shoulder muscles. How they knew exactly where to dig into is beyond her, but at this point in time she couldn't care in the slightest. Her thoughts drift off into the peaceful void as the hands slowly dig into her flesh and muscles. Dimly, she is aware that groans of comfort are escaping her lips as someone is putting in a lot of effort to just relax her. Soon, she's swaying on her feet as her entire being could focused on the pleasurable sensation. If this keeps up, the young baker doubts she'll be able to stay standing up. Through the haze of comfort curiosity prompts her to lazily look over her shoulder.

Frankly, Muffet doesn't know what else she was expecting "Frisk..?" A small bit of embarrassment courses through her as her words come out in an extremely relaxed slur. Teasing will certainly come later on. Pushing that thought back into the abyss of calmness that is enveloping her, she instead focuses more on their magic fingers. The human could certainly put 'masseuse' on their skill list. Or is it masseur? As long as they don't stop anytime soon she wouldn't care. God, they're even going to the joints that connect her other arms to her body. Frankly, they act just like the shoulder for those specific limbs, but they still get their own amount of stress.

"You, uh, going to make her turn to mush kid?" Not even the fact that someone else is watching this pulls her out of the state of mind she has been put in. If this is what turning into mush means, then she will gladly accept her fate. A crack of her joint sends a tremor through her body that makes her groan. The feeling hurt a bit, but she would swear that the pain felt so good. Plus, the relaxation effect afterwards is more than enough to ignore the small moments of pain. What on earth is this human doing to her anyways? They've gone too far down her back for her to actually see. However, she quickly abandons the thought when they start working on her lowest set of arms.

The young spider supposes that she should feel a bit embarrassed or nervous about someone going that low. Yet, two things stops her from experiencing any form of distrust. First, she is far too gone into relaxation for her to care in the slightest. Someone could walk into her bakery right now and steal every cent of money she has, and she would wave to them as they left. It is simply that divine to her. Secondly, and more importantly, this is Frisk massaging her. Not Chara, Frisk. She already trusts them with her life, so what's a little touching compared to that? Besides, the human knows what boundaries very well. They should also know the consequences of not following those boundaries.

They are in her bakery after all. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of extremely poisonous spiders that could easily hide in every nook and cranny of their clothing. Should anything bad happen to her, there would be nothing holding them back from subjecting the human to a multitude of poisons. That doesn't even cover her pet either, but she has faith that they would be able to mind their hands. Well, unless they have to steady her. Her legs are wobbling very dangerously at the moment. It would be kind of awkward to fall on top of Frisk while she's unable to move from sheer relaxation.

"You okay Muffet?" A shiver goes up her spine as their voice somehow enhances what she is feeling "You look like you're going to collapse." At this point, the girl is lucky enough to be able to register what the human is saying. Being able to talk though? No can do. The best she can muster is a hum of pleasure. She nearly whines when their hands move from her body. Having that taken away is pure torture! That is cruelty past anything she has ever experienced, and they- Her inner complaining is ceased when her legs are swept off the floor. The yelp that escaped her makes her blush slightly while her arms latch onto the closest thing to her.

With increasing familiarity, she opens her eyes to see that she is in Frisk's arms. Blinking, she looks down at their hold to see one of their arms laced under her knees while she feels an arm wrapped around her upper back. A thought nags the back of her mind with something about this being oddly familiar. Even with the extremely comforting warmth coming from the human, her mind works hard to remember where she has seen this. Sans's amused laughter doesn't help though. The temptation to glare at him is suppressed when she feels her body being held closer to the human's. She knows that the increasing blush is inevitable, but she can't help but hate her body's natural reaction to this. Even if she can't find any logical reason to hate the situation she is in.

Just as her grip around Frisk's upper body was loosening, they start moving towards the back. Surprisingly, Muffet finds the experience rather smooth. If anything she thought that being carried would be a bumpy experience as the person being carried would go up and down with the carrier's steps. Yet, her friend defies that idea by somehow keeping their upper body from moving. Overall, she wouldn't have been able to tell that they were moving at all if she wasn't seeing it herself. A quick glance upward reveals the serene look on her companion's face. Her breath nearly hitches as she sees how happy they look by doing this. She would have looked away if she didn't notice something else. It could be her imagination, but it looks like a faint bit of pink coloring their cheeks.

Could they be, "Hold on." Wait, hold on? This time she is able to silence the surprised yelp that she threatened to make when they lifted her up higher. Her first reaction is to hold on. Hold on as tight as she can to their arms. Her face basically erupts in a blush as they laugh a little. The sound may be pleasant to hear, but she doesn't want it to happen at her expense! She attempts to give them a glare. In order to do that, the spider baker channels all of her anger into her effort. Inevitably, the human started laughing more. Biting back a groan, she tries to bury her face into something soft and comfy. She could even feel that her glare was extremely weak. She could call it a mild annoyance look at best.

It takes a few moments before she fully notices that she is on something soft. Raising her head, she looks around to see that Frisk had placed her on her web. The day must have started to catch up to her as her body feels completely drained. Her eyelids start to feel very heavy as the effort to keep them open becomes more and more taxing. It would be so easy just to let herself slumber right now. Just close her eyes, let her thoughts drift away, and finally rest her mind and body. Certainly was tempting, but the sound of pleasant laughter keeps her up. She had to embarrass herself slightly for that, so she would savor every second of it. Through the slowly closing windows of her eyes, she watches as the human slowly calms down.

When her vision was halfway dark, they smiled at her. When it was three-quarters of the way closed she can barely see them gently take her center right hand. She can feel it though. It could have only been a half-hour at most. Yet, she can't help but try and focus on the warmth. Has she become dependent to that feeling? Why is she so drawn to it? Her muddled mind tries to make sense of the enigma. It's far too late to find the reason though as she's falling under the spell of sleep. When only a small sliver of her eyes can peer into the outside world, she can barely make out them bringing her hand up towards their head.

When her vision is completely dark, she feels something else warm press against the back of her hand. A rogue thought comes to the forefront of her mind right before giving out to her body's need to sleep. Did they just kiss the back of her hand?

Her consciousness fades there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that's that! Another chapter done, some more fluff made. I honestly don't know what to make of this chapter, but I do hope that you guys enjoy it! That includes you CannonFodder18! Happy B-Day buddy!
> 
> On an unrelated side note, my last chapter had someone saying they're glad that everyone is out of the cave and that the romance could begin. They're title was 'Satan'.
> 
> Should I be honored, confused, or afraid of that fact?
> 
> Anyways, for those of you that wanted fluff, romance, and all of those good feels I would like to say that Frisk went in strong. Whether that was a good idea or not shall have to be seen later. At least it happened though!
> 
> There are also a few things I would like to state. In the Archives, this Fic practically reigns supreme from my creations! The only one surpassing it has eighty chapters, and it took months to get there. In comparison, this story has only been up for around a month. Thank you all for commenting, viewing, and kudos-ing this Fic!
> 
> So, thank you all for helping this fic become this great! If I had no indication of views, kudos, bookmarks, or comments I would have thought that this story was a waste of time a long time ago. It may have gone onto chapter three and stopped.
> 
> So thank you all, enjoy the future chapters, and go listen to the Sans/Papyrus version of Candy drop pop. I love the adorableness of it. Especially the one minute and thirty-six seconds animated version. Hilarious.
> 
> Oh, there is a rumor that I've heard that explains Muffet's attraction to Frisk's warmth. Apparently, there is a being that resembles a spider in the middle east that have been rumored to rest on people's chest because of their body heat. You may have heard of that species: Camel Spiders.
> 
> That's probably not scientifically accurate in the slightest, but I'm going to abuse this maliciously!
> 
> I've rambled enough though. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	16. The Day After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I don't know what the heck I'm doing this chapter. Then again, when have I ever known what I'm doing for a chapter? Not much else to say here since I'm writing this right after posting the last chapter.
> 
> So... here we go.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale. I own the plot though! People seem to enjoy that...

If there was one word to describe the day Muffet is having, it would be hectic. Quite possibly painful too. If she was honest with herself, she isn't supposed to be doing a full day of work with her head injury. No, she was supposed to be resting and taking things easy to help the recovery process. However, any closed days in her business could spell the end of it. Plus, she's had some time to heal already. Things would be okay right? Wrong. So very, very wrong. Only a few days after learning things that pretty much shattered her view on the world entirely, the arachnid baker attempted to pull a full day once more. She made sure to take some painkillers for the headache she woke up with, get her family to help lighten the load, and set off to complete a full day.

At first, everything was fine. She could still get orders and help bake with a smile gracing her lips. She made it through a quarter of a day with almost complete ease. The only thing that was messing with her was the fact her top eye was still covered. It messed with her depth perception a bit. Turns out, it doesn't matter how many eyes you have. If you've grown accustom to using all of them then losing the ability to see out of just one of them will severely mess with a person's judgement of sight. Especially if said eye is the centering balance for your vision. The young monster powered through it though. She may have accidentally judged some ingredients here and there, but it was minor enough that nothing was messed up.

Then the midpoint of the day came. Around noon the effects of the painkillers had worn off, and as much as she would have loved to go retake some there were customers to be handled. It's frankly surprising how many people want a baked treat in the middle of the day. So she endured the renewed throbbing pain even as more people came into her quaint little bakery. With more people there was more noise. More noise equals more pain, and more pain turned into strained manners. At one point she was going to get her pet to attack a man who decided to bad talk her products. It was so tempting to just see the foolish person get torn apart, but she held onto her wayward desire while instead telling him that he could always go elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the day only got worse from then on. Her head was in so much pain that it became hard to focus at all. The baking had to be switched completely to her family, and things began to slow down. Slowing down tends to lead to unhappy customers who have been waiting in line for at least ten minutes. At that point, Muffet finally admitted to herself that this was a massive mistake. Her reputation was going to take quite the hit from this poor show of finesse. Regardless, she tried to continue anyways by doing her very best to make up for the fatal flaws she is showing. It didn't really do much, but at least some people took pity on the injured girl. Most were actually very patient with her. She assumed that it was because her gauze bandages were on display.

Of course, there was also those who didn't give a damn that she was hurt at all. The vast majority of those kind of people didn't say a word. Instead, they tried to judge her with their stares. Narrowed eyes of all variations were leveled at her, but she could shrug them off easily enough. She doesn't know those people. Their opinion does not matter in the slightest no matter how important they think they are. The real problem comes from the emotionless patrons that seemed to come in just to complain, slow down the line further, and make their opinions known. As one could guess, those types really aren't welcomed in her establishment, but there is always the problem of figuring out who they are.

You can't tell these kind of people from others just by looking at them. They blend in with the common people because, sadly, in some ways they are just like the rest of the population. They have hopes, dreams, ambitions, and quite possibly families to spread their negative opinion to. Whether those people are just misinformed or prejudice against monster doesn't matter, the problems they cause are numerous. So, when one of those people does inevitably show up out of nowhere, the young monster is understandably caught off guard. This time its young dark haired brunette woman who was casually wearing a light blue blouse and jeans. She looked kind enough, but the true colors show when the lady decided to speak

"What's taking so long?" Condescending, self-importance, and a greater-than-thou feeling all wrapped up in one "The doughnut shop in the freakin' mall serves faster than this place!" The spider girl's eyes twitch as she tenses up slightly. This is not a simple doughnut shop, this is her prized _bakery_. Taking a deep breath, Muffet reminds herself that this simple-minded fool probably doesn't know the difference. Really doesn't help the painful throbbing in the back of her head though. She's lucky enough that this one has a mellow voice instead of cracking from puberty. That would really start to hurt her hearing and head.

Though, her smile is still quickly becoming strained the more she has to deal with the fresh outta highschool idiot "Your doughnuts are almost done dearie," She can't help but let her fangs be shown a bit more threateningly than adorable "Just a little bit of patience is needed." A quick assessment of her customer's facial features was done. Eyes narrowed, tense smile with lines by the edges of her lips, forehead scrunched up. Either this woman is thinking really hard, which must be very taxing for her, or she's barely suppressing her hatred. Well, it could be anger, but the arachnid girl hasn't done anything to infuriate them just yet. Although, if this continues some stress relieving may be necessary.

"It's been seven minutes!" The urge to remind the woman that she spent five of those minutes complaining about the choices is bitten back "I bet that you purposely take as long as you can for your human customers." Okay, that came out of nowhere! Muffet can't even hold back her bewildered look at the statement. What kind of leap of logic did this woman take to get to that? If any worker did that kind of thing at any establishment they would get fired. Speed and efficiency is a necessary trait that any successful business needs. She would be out of business if she did that! Also, that would be a petty thing to do.

The very idea presented to the baker is so bad in terms of business, reason, and logic that she can't take this idiocy anymore "Excuse me miss, may I ask what you're doing here?" So many lines have been crossed in a matter of stupidity that the balance needed to be corrected "I do not believe your coach is here." Oh, retaliation is going to be such a sweet thing. The smile on her lips became deceptively cuter as she prepared herself to lay into this foolish woman. First step, create an opening to exploit.

"What 'coach' are you talking about?" The look of confusion on her soon-to-be victim's face is fantastic. People can be so easy to exploit sometimes, say something off topic and they'll question what you said almost immediately. Most tend to question it out loud as well making the job so much easier to accomplish. Second step, start the onslaught. The best way at this point is to feign surprise. The deceptive baker widened her eyes while slightly covering her mouth with her top left hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry," The urge to grin widely is hard to suppress "I had assumed that you were waiting for someone to come by." Her lips twitched slightly, but mostly remained completely in control "Presumably, someone to help you with the brain damage you got from your car crash." Now, it is simply a matter of twisting words and exploiting openings. This confrontation is already primed for a two pronged assault, and it should be glorious. Well, as long as her victim doesn't actually think about her responses.

Luckily, the woman doesn't seem to think very much "Excuse me? I haven't been in a car crash!" Still left wide open for a quick verbal takedown "What on earth made you think I was in a car crash!?" The tension in the young monster's body slowly begins to drain away as she indulges in an old pastime of hers: verbal humiliation. It's been awhile since she's been able to do this, so she's a bit eager to see if she's still got her touch.

"J-just how you look," Pretending to be a bit intimidated by the older woman's yelling, Muffet gestures at the lady in general "The m-marring on your s-skin and the o-odd proportions of your body just made it l-look like you h-had been in o-one," Inwardly, the young girl can't help but laugh mischievously at her victim's indignant expression "T-then you s-started saying n-nonsense so..." Letting her sentence trail off in what sounds like uncertainty, she just watches as her words start to register to the woman. As expected, it didn't take long for her to get completely pissed off.

In all honestly, the verbal jabs given weren't all that harsh. Not that easy either, but still nothing compared to what the young girl could really do. However, it wouldn't be that fun if she sent her victim into dazed shock from just a few sentences. A challenge would be rather fun to have. Yet, once more the human female disappoints as she starts to stutter in offense to what was spoken. The woman must not have had much opportunity to exchange heated words from wherever she came from. Which makes this even sadder since it meant one of two things about her. It is possible that she is actually a very nice girl who didn't get into arguments a lot, or she was a loner who simply kept to herself. Either or, it still give the young monster a bit of sadness that their confrontation had to turn out this way.

Her sense of pleasure by doing this took quite a bit of a hit at least "I-It was a simple mistake." Enough so that she decided to cut the planned barrage there. Probably for the best too. The woman looks like she shrunk into herself after she finished stuttering. Her facade of confidence was shattered so easily that a small bit of guilt built up inside of the younger girl. Dulled downcast eyes, lips in a straight line, yet skin is completely free of lines. The small visuals point towards repeated offenses similar to what she had said. More evidence to the idea that this person was likely a loner. Those who have no one either hide themselves under a shell, or they are simply more affected by comments.

A brief mental image of Napsterblook goes through Muffet's mind as she examines this woman "Miss, could you please take seat over there?" The woman glances over to the seat that Frisk normally sits at when they visit before nodding. With the line moving again, the young girl starts to get orders that she could send to her family to start baking once they're done with what they are working on. However, she knew it would take at least a minute or two until that would happen. Time to see what the real damage is.

"May I ask your name miss?" She doesn't look up from her current customer while taking advantage of the momentary silence. Well, as much silence as a packed bakery could have. A lot of people just don't know how much noise they make while on their phones. Music being played too loud conflict against each other, constant tapping on glass screens, muttered swears when they lose to someone else online. It can add up quickly, and that currently leads to some headache pains for her. She pushes it aside for the moment though. Pained or not, she overstepped with her comments and she needs to fix it.

Nothing was said for a few moments as she lets the brunette contemplate her options "My name is Heather." Her reply was extremely faint. The spider girl was lucky that she was doing what she could to focus to the voice beside her, but at least she has a name to work with. After all, names are power. Speaking a person's name has far more of an impact than saying generic titles for people. It simply grabs someone's attention more while showing that you care enough to remember it.

"Heather dearie, why did you decide to cause a scene?" With the clock is ticking on this one, she would have to be more blunt than she liked. By her estimate, she would only have around a minute of semi-guaranteed listening. Wasting time with gentle words will simply not do. Instead she'll have to have the tone of a caring mother. An odd skill to pick up, but one that is very effective with people who are uncertain about issues.

Perhaps she was a bit too blunt though "I'm sorry, I won't come back again okay?" Already heading in the wrong direction. Not only was the question avoided, but the woman is trying to hide herself in a shell. Probably a defensive measure which gives even more evidence to the loner status. This forces Muffet to pause for a moment as she thinks of a better way to go about this. Again, Napsterblook's image goes through her mind giving her a bit of inspiration.

Time to switch gears "Heather, you don't have to tell me," Always give the unsure ones a way out, the knowledge comforts them that they could stop at any time "But getting this off your chest would help you if you feel guilty or sad." She uses the gentlest tone she could make while looking over at the older woman. The undivided attention tactic is a bit risky to use with people like this. It will either show them that you're willing to listen to their troubles, or it will make them so uncomfortable that they retreat into themselves.

She watches as the brunette bites on her lower lip, a classic sign of uncertainty, while fidgeting slightly. The fact that the fidgeting is slight gives way to a little bit of hope within the spider baker. It's barely noticeable, so the possibility that the psychological damage isn't completely engrained within the woman is there. It could also mean that she has gotten used to hiding it in public. However, the young monster is hoping for a happier conclusion to this. A glance up to the cloak shows that the baked goods should be done soon. She nearly frowns, but a quick whisper to one of the spiders that always accompanies her sets it scurrying into the kitchen. If her family took their time another minute or two could be added to this conversation.

"I-I was," Her eyes quickly snapped back to the woman in front of her "I w-was told to." No amount of personal training would stop the frown that her lips make now. Told to? Was this young woman pressured into doing this? If so, that just solidifies the loner fact. Even though it could have just been a poor attempt at a prank, the simple fact is that it is more likely that someone took advantage of this girl's loneliness in order to manipulate them. A want or need to belong can be hard to deny when someone has been alone for quite some time. Still, caution is needed to continue. Push too hard for information and she'll stop talking completely.

Her words need to be comforting and welcoming "Dearie, who told you to do this?" Her tone still resembles that of a mother. Yet, it is a bit sterner. It was somewhat akin to a worried mom who wanted to know who was bullying her child. When Heather looked down again, her bottom lip was subjected to another round of abuse by her teeth. She's obviously worried about answering this. Why though? Have these people threatened her should she talk? Or was it along the lines of losing the only chance at having friends? Not that they were really friends. More like selfish bastards who wanted a tool to use.

"Some friends of mine," The meek answer is the final nail in the coffin "They thought it would be funny to do this." They'll soon find how funny the young monster really thought about their juvenile act "T-They're waiting outside to hear how it went." Oh? A small grin that must seem positively venomous spreads across her lips. That makes things so much easier to deal with. Lacing her hands in front of her, she looks up briefly to see quite a large amount of spiders moving towards the front door. The mass of legs, fangs and compounded eyes easily get outside through a series of small cracks and openings that are inevitably in every building made.

"Well, we'll have a talk with them won't we?" Sure enough, four people soon burst into the building screaming in horror as they desperately attempt to swipe off the arachnids on them "Are those your 'friends'?" A whimper escapes Heather as she nods rapidly. The poor thing must think she'll get the same treatment. With a reassuring smile to the older female, Muffet steps out from behind the counter as she makes her way towards the cowering four. The mass of spiders clear a small circle of clear space under her feet with every step. Even her customers move away from her as she goes over to her soon to be victims.

Once she is merely a few feet away from the four troublemakers her family scatters off of them. If she was being honest, these people don't strike her much as manipulative delinquents. They don't look like the stereotypical blonde bombshells that take advantage of others insecurities, or handsome jocks that pretend to like a person in order to use them. No, before her is two women and two men who look around the same age as Heather. The women aren't wearing anything to show off their bodies, just jeans and different color coats covering their upper bodies. The guys don't have sleeveless shirts to show off nonexistent muscles, only two grey jackets as well as matching pants. If she just met these people on the streets she wouldn't even look twice at them.

Hesitating, she briefly wondered if her family scared the wrong people "What the hell Heather," With her family fully dispersing off the group, she listens to a slick, blonde haired boy "You ratted us out!?" The none-too-smart boy promptly got elbowed in the side by a red headed boy. However, the damage was done. Any trace of hesitation was wiped away after that comment. The young monster has her real targets, but words are not the only thing she's going to use for them.

Feigning a gasp, she looks at the four with uncaring eyes "Oh, I'm sorry. Did my dear family startle you?" Pretending to tsk at the spiders surrounding them she shakes her head slightly "I merely wanted them to go and get you! After all," Dropping the short-lived facade, her eyes lock onto them while her voice becomes devoid of emotions "We have something to talk about." A stammering raven haired girl began to stutter when Muffet sprayed all of their mouths with her special web. It simply wouldn't do for them to try and interrupt her while she was speaking, now would it? Taking a moment to take in the terrified looks in their eyes, she steps to the side so she's directly in front of a light haired brunette.

The woman was clearly trembling in terror at the path that their ploy had gone down, but it is too late to make amends "Now, I can appreciate the ability to manipulate someone as well as the next monster," Her tone had not changed, her voice didn't rise or drop, yet she did start slowly walking down the line of the four "Especially when someone really does deserve it," Her four visible eyes shift to the next person when she gets in front of them "However, when I see someone who simply wants companionship get manipulated," She stops and lets the sentence trail off. There was two ways to get what she is saying across. The urge to let all of the day's frustration and rage out on these four is extremely tempting. In fact, she nearly does so.

However, she's not here to instill a fear of monsters "It completely infuriates me," Instead of making her voice rise, she lowers it while turning to completely face the four "So, here is what you four are going to do." Her ears pick up a bit of scurrying across the floor, but she doesn't turn to see what it is. She keeps her entire focus on the people she is educating. Besides, based on their paling faces, she could probably guess what they are seeing at the moment.

"You're going to leave this young lady alone," The arachnid monster takes a single step towards her victims "You're going to stop doing such juvenile things," Another step as she leans forward just a bit "And you're going to never come back to my bakery again." Her upper and middle hands grab onto the edges of the webbing over the four's mouths "You understand that?" She scans their faces as each one nods when she looks at them. Letting a charming smile reach her lips once more, she tugs the webbing off their mouths in a single go.

"Goodbye dearies.~" The spider girl's words barely were spoken when her four victims scrambled out of the building. She's a bit unsure where they were running to, but in the end she didn't really care. Turning on her heel, she scratched her dearest pet's head as she passes by it on her way to the counter. The sound of scurrying across the floor assures her that it is following her, but she shows no sign of noticing. Instead, she returns to her place behind the counter with a cute smile on her lips. From her peripheral vision she can see a spider carrying a bag of baked treats towards her silent customer.

She'd need to finish this conversation now "Have they told you to do this before?" If they didn't, She could be in massive trouble. The thought hadn't occurred to her before, but that's what happens when one gets caught up in the moment. On the case scenario that she was wrong, she'll accept whatever punishment is given. She's not exactly above the law or anything. Mentally, Muffet groans as the throbbing from the back of her head increases in pain. All this negative thinking is really starting to stress her out.

Luckily, or unfortunately, she could see Heather nodding slightly from the corner of her eyes "Then they aren't friends dearie." At least she could claim to have a reason for doing what she did now "You seem to be a nice enough person Heather," Looking over at the older woman she gives a small smile to her "You could do so much better than them." Letting her smile widen just enough to show the very tips of her fangs she gestures to the people in her bakery. A small sense of peace settles within her as she watches the brunette scan the room. Hopefully, this human would manage to find much better companions in the future than those she was used by.

There may be a chance that Heather would go back to those four searching for an easy way to get something akin to friendship. However, Muffet hopes that she instead searches for people that are like her instead of those who searched for the most insecure people. Maybe the two of them could become friends later on, but for the moment, as repayment for her harsh words, the arachnid baker gives Heather her treats for free. A gentle wave to her as she leaves is rewarded with a small smile. As much as she would love for that to have been the end of the day, the young monster still has half the day to go. A sigh leaves her lips at that fact as she quickly fixes a kind smile on her lips.

Something good may have come out of it, but she really should have stuck to only half-days until she's gotten better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shall be the first to admit this: I have no idea where this came from. I have no idea why this happened, and I have no idea why there was no cute scenes with Frisk and Muffet.
> 
> However, there was a show of personality, endurance, and actions on Muffet. I guess that works? I don't know really.
> 
> You guys tell me what you think- if you want to- and I'll be here making the next chapter. So, let's continue onward to the future.
> 
> Also, yes Heather is technically an Oc, but I don't know if she'll even become important to the plot at all! Please do not complain about it.
> 
> Anyways, I have to go for now. See you later. Bye.
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	17. The Most Dangerous Type of Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of suggested to me, and frankly I want to see how far I can go with this one.
> 
> Not sure how this is going to play out. Let's find out.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

It has been a very long day to the young monster. Things didn't exactly get better after the midway point of her work day, and the only period of peace she had was right after three O'clock. During the respite she immediately took two more painkillers before resting up near the cash register until her doors opened once more. It was only thirty minutes later when she got some of her more familiar customers. Many monsters, as well as some humans, who just got out of school entered her bakery with some allowance or saved lunch money. The rumors that school food is rather terrible may not completely be true, but if it is enough for her to get some younger customers then it doesn't matter to her.

However, it does seem to matter to some parents. Sometimes some of the adults come in with their children with the plan of only getting one treat for their children. Usually, they go home with several bags filled with her goodies. There are even instances where Muffet can hear them wonder how she managed to convince them when they leave. If she had gotten a chance to answer that, the poor families would have gone home with much more than what they had. Yet, today seemingly is destined to be a different kind of day. At least that's the vibe she got when Red rushed into the store at a breakneck pace. The former royal guard had immediately gone up to the cash register while starting the spider baker.

"Hello Muffet!" Just like a dog excited for its master to come home, the cowl wearing child was practically bouncing in place from excitement "I came by to help you again, so don't worry about a thing." The words barely register to the spider monster as she is a bit mystified by something else in front of her. Specifically, Red's face, or lack thereof. Even when she is directly in front of the younger monster, the only things she can see is the girl's mouth and one of her eyes. It's not only confusing, but also a bit frightening. What does this girl look like? Why is she hiding herself underneath that cloak? How is she getting away with that at school?

The questions swirl around Muffet's mind for a few moments "That, isn't necessary Red." This monster has to have a face right? "I have my bakery under control." Of course the girl has a face! Everyone has a face. Well, except for the dog amalgamate. It has more a black circle in place of its face. Honestly, the first, as well as last, time the arachnid baker saw Endogeny she could have sworn that all it had a never ending void on its head. The sight unnerved her enough that her nervous stutter temporarily came back as she greeted the mixture of dog monsters. It was one of the few experiences she had that was both embarrassing and terrifying. Needless to say, she tries to avoid those kind of confrontations.

"..uffet?" Blinking slightly, her mind returns to the present while she notices that Red isn't in front of her anymore "Muffet!" Not being prepared for the loud shout, she nearly jumps out of her skin before looking over at the younger monster "See! You're so tired that you spaced out." Perhaps she was a little bit more tired than usual, but when did the younger monster get beside her? "That's it, I'm taking over so you can rest." Taking over? Despite being a bit distracted, those words sharpened Muffet's focus on the conversation. No one takes over her bakery. No enemy, ally, or otherwise forces her from the work she made for herself. This is her lively hood! She used every last cent she had to make this place what it is, and no one is going to take it away from her.

Straightening herself so she is at full height, her eyes narrow a bit at the younger monster "I believe I said I was fine." Even with her short stature, her five-fold stare usually is enough to pierce a person through. Whether it was because one of her eyes was covered or because the monster before her has more nerves than she thought, Red didn't even flinch. Instead, she returned the stare with a concerned intensity. It was a rarity for that happens, even less so is when she feels herself being backed down. The stare of the younger monster's one visible eye shines with her own determination. To be honest, the amount of willpower on display catches the spider monster off guard.

A wriggling doubt in the back of her mind whispers that it'll be hard to get the other monster to give up the idea. Mentally, she quickly goes through ideas. She has an inkling that attempting to reassure the girl isn't exactly going to work. What other options are there? Kicking her out wouldn't be very kind nor would it be good for their growing friendship. Tying her up would probably destroy all chances of becoming real friends as well. Continuing to fight is just time consuming and pointless to both parties. The options keep on getting knocked aside as Muffet tries to think of a good solution. The only decent course of action left would be to reach a compromise, but what would be the compromise?

An obvious answer would be for her to take a short break in the back while Red works up front. However, the former royal guard member doesn't know the intricacies of being the cashier. Even if it was just something simple like remembering the prices of the products, knowing that saves time by not having to check. Less time being spent waiting equals more people being served. The more served quickly and efficiently leads towards more profit being made. Then there is the way to treat customers while taking their order. Short and to the point needs to be balanced with a friendly attitude and a bit of cuteness. Finding just the right balance helps leave a good impression overall, and that can lead to repeat returns to the bakery.

Now, there is no doubt that Red could be friendly and cute, but she seems to be a bit too friendly. Not too cute. There is never such a thing as too cute. The real problem, based on past observations, is how distracted the child could get with people who are friendly back. Time would be wasted, people could get angry with the slow service, and it would strike the bakery's profits as well as its reputation. The older monster pauses for a moment as she realizes her internal reasoning sounds quite a bit like greed. She has to bite back a sigh at that. For every positive trait a person can have there is the negative side to it. A person's really friendly? Easy to exploit and use. Another person is tough? People around them are afraid to even speak to them.

Really good at turning a profit? Must be a greedy person who values money over all other things. The idea alone grates on Muffet's nerves on a good day, but on a day like this it takes everything she has not to have her pet assault people. The rumors alone make her blood boil. She's more than aware that because of her high prices back in the Underground her title had become 'The Arachnid of Avarice'. Normally, she can take it in her stride, but on a day like today even her thoughts make her want to just curl up on her web while ignoring the world. People just don't understand that she wanted to help her family. They don't understand that the sheer amount of spiders that were trapped in the Ruins would require a limo to move. Do these people just not know that spiders can have up to five hundred offspring per arachnid!?

It seems like no one understands that she needs to keep her bakery running as smoothly as possible or else both her family and herself will be thrown out onto the streets "Are you going to space out all day?" She may be able to endure the cold of fall or winter better than her family "Hello? Muffet?" But they'll die so quickly in such freezing temperatures! "Snap out of it Muffet!" She was shaken out of her thoughts. Literally, her body was shaken hard enough by the Red to forcefully snap her out of her thoughts. Refocusing on the sight of the younger girl's worried look, the spider monster had to blink a few times to mentally get everything back on track.

"You just keep on spacing out." Her thought process has been going everywhere lately, but maybe that's because there is simply a lot that she needs to think about. So much has happened in less than a week. The knowledge that her dearest friend has had the ability to essentially redo anything they have done alone is hard enough to process. However, they also have an, apparently, former genocidal being inside them that influenced them into slaughtering everyone. God, it sounds like the plot to either an story that wasn't thought out well or an amazing video game. Sighing a bit, the spider monster concedes to herself that she does need to rest. At the very least she needs to go through everything in her mind.

Still, she can't just leave Red to do the job alone "Fine, I'll rest." Seeing the younger monster's worry vanish helps Muffet reassure herself that this is the right choice "However, I'll be staying up here to keep an eye on things." To her credit, the former royal guard just nods happily. Odd, the spider baker was certain that her companion was going to protest to the idea. A glance at the clock and she pushes that thought aside. The later customers were going to be here at any moment. Time for a crash course in customer service. Glancing over at her companion she expected her to be bouncing around while looking over everything in curiousity.

Instead, she sees the younger monster completely focused on her. Once again, Red's stare completely catches the older girl off guard. It is simply too intense for such a young child to have. Rather, a child that young shouldn't have the ability to have that kind of stare. The sheer focus alone reveals a bit of deeper depths in her companion. Unbidden, her mind returns to the story that detailed Red's meeting with Frisk. It was hard to see it sometimes, but she was once part of the elite human-hunting group that served the former king. The effects of that are still with the cowl wearing monsters. Maybe that is why she wears that cloak constantly. Something in her training may have made her conceal herself for one reason or another.

Muffet has to forcefully pull her mind back to the present "A-alright. The first thing you need to know is the prices of each product," There is no reason to speculate about her companion's choice of outfit "It is important to memorize what costs what for efficiency's sake." There is even less reason to make assumptions about the girl's former training. Whatever happened in the past should be left there or used later when it is needed. Besides, the girl has been nothing but kind as well as helpful to her. She shouldn't analyze her. No, she should be grateful for the younger girl's help.

"Efficiency is needed when running any type of business, but don't be discouraged to chat with the customers." Frankly, she is thankful for this monster's help "A bit of friendliness can put the bakery apart from those mall 'bakeries'." While rolling her eyes at the idea of those mass produced disgraces, Muffet realizes something else about this scenario. She's about to give the reigns of her business to a girl who is not only younger than her, but that she's only had a few moments of interaction with. She must either be completely desperate for that rest, or Red has impressed upon her much more than she thought. Actually, she's had around _two_ encounters with this girl.

What the hell is wrong with her? What does she know about this former royal guard? The girl has fought Frisk, like everyone other monster has, and she had trained in the royal guard. That is all the arachnid monster knows about her. What could lead to her trusting this person with her entire livelihood? Even if she will be supervising, this is completely out of nowhere for her. If she didn't know better, she'd think that Red was already a trusted friend. However, that is absurd. No one could become friends that quickly. Especially, without even really talking to each other that much. True, the two of them did have some chats when Red was acting as her helper, but that was just casual conversation.

With increasing frequency as of late, that voice in the back of her head merely has to whisper one word. Frisk. The realization nearly made Muffet pause in her explanation of how she runs the bakery. While it seems impossible for a bond to occur over such short of a time, the human that she knows defies that idea. Most of the monsters they met over their journey have befriended what should have been their hated enemy. How did Frisk do that? By being kind. By talking to their enemies. By unwaveringly standing firm against everyone's attacks. By spending nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine gold on a doughnut that was made days before. If they had done that, why couldn't other people make a connection with each other in a slightly longer time?

There is no reason that everyone couldn't. A smile spreads across the spider baker's lips as she continues to instruct the younger monster. She never had imagined that the rarity that happened between Frisk and every monster would happen again. A laugh nearly escapes her when she remembers the suspicions that plagued her when she first saw Red. How paranoid could she be? All the younger girl was doing was laughing at a joke. Yet, it was a sure sign of impending doom to Muffet. Though, she isn't quite sure why she took the sight like that. Perhaps she was just worried for her friend? The idea sounds like a flimsy excuse to even her own mind, but anything else would suggest something.

"Now, I believe that is everything." Did she really explain everything already? "I'll be sitting in the corner, so if you need anything just call me over." How strange that she doesn't even recall saying anything past the usefulness of friendliness. Maybe she managed to drift off with her thoughts while automatically explaining how things worked. Is that even possible? Great, another thing to plague her already distracted mind. Not wanting to cause anymore worry, she makes sure that a small smile is still on her lips as she goes over to the corner where Sans was a few days ago.

Sitting down, she can feel her body gratefully relaxing. How had she gotten this tense already? It hadn't even been a single work day. Unbidden, a groan comes from her as she stares over at the counter. It hadn't taken long for Red to get her first customer. In the small amount of time after instructions, the younger monster had already reverted back to her energetic self. Musing a bit, the older girl considers the odds of her companion having some form of split personality disorder. Immediately she pushes the thought away. She just went through this! No making assumptions or judgements without getting to know Red better. Besides, she knows that her mind is trying to avoid the darker thoughts about what she really needs to think about.

Steeling herself, Muffet takes a deep breath to steady herself. Even if she doesn't get to the bigger problems, she needs to at least take a step into fully accepting what she has learned. So, where would be the easiest place to start? While she considers what could be used as a stepping stone into the truth behind the world, her eyes stay trained on her companion. Red seems to be having no trouble being friendly with her customer. Yet, that was to be expected really. Surprisingly, she is also doing well with the efficiency aspect. No look back at the menu, instant answers to questions, and decent calculations. However, the last aspect is to be expected for someone who still in middle school. The younger girl is much more capable than she lets on.

The spider monster nearly growls out loud as she finds herself making distractions from what she needs to do. She can do this! There is no need to avoid this opportunity. Plus, she's not going to just jump into the mass of information head first. The process is going to be a slow and steady pace. Again, she draws upon her will while closing her eyes. No outward distractions. Unless her name is called, she'll focus on this. Though, even with her intent to stop stalling Muffet still doesn't know where to start. Perhaps she should focus on something that affected her, seemingly, physically then let her follow the path that follows.

Taking in a breath through her nose, she exhales slowly through her mouth to help calm any remaining nerves. Alright, now to assess these 'Alternate Memories'. Based on her own experiences, they are visions of trauma that never happened. Almost immediately, an image of Flowey appears in the forefront of her mind. The vision of the sentient plant reminds her that the visions did happen. They just occurred in a different time-line. These painful shows of what could/did have happened occur because of- Wait, did she ever get a reason why? She can feel her eyes furrow as she remembers the conversation with the talking weed. No, no one present in that talk did give a reason on why they happen.

However, these alternate memories provide an excellent jump off point into another topic she needs to think about: Alternate timelines. The concept is simple enough to grasp. Paths of events that could have happened instead of what happened. Commonly known Sci-fi stuff. The acceptance of it as a fact is much harder to wrap her mind around. Not only is there different branches in time, but the events that occur in those branches can affect some people in this timeline. Okay, a bit more difficult to analyze, but she can accept that with the personal experiences she endured. A bit sooner than she would have liked, the young monster finds herself thinking about the reason behind these branches.

Determination. The very power of one's entire being. If what Sans said was true, then the one with the most determination that is living, or exists as Chara shows, could rewind the clock to change the course of history. The implications of this is can be both amazing as well as horrifying. A person could essentially do whatever they want without consequences. Want to kill that person? Said person could do so over and over again until they got exactly what they wanted. Want to help everyone? The determined being could do so while going back should they mess up in the slightest. Want to get a specific person to do something? Try again and again until they're manipulated into doing what the person wants.

Faintly, she can feel her body shaking slightly. The smooth material of the booth she is sitting on soon feels the abuse of her fingertips digging into them. The use of that power could be used for both good and bad. The differences between what Frisk and Chara has done is proof enough for that, but what about selfish actions? Even a good hearted person could fall for temptation to do something that isn't necessarily moral. So, if one knew of what the determined being can do, how could someone trust anything that they do? The chance alone of being taken advantage of is impossible to deny. What if they are just a source of entertainment for the being? What if at the everything, the being goes back to before meeting someone just to move onto another person?

What if Frisk is just using this timeline as an experience that they'll throw away later on? What if the human is using her? The sound of her fingers tearing through red velvet registers slightly. However, that is blown away by the tornado of questions her mind has swirling in it. What if they've already done this and she's just having a repeat performance? What if they do something completely horrible at the last moment to test her faith in them because of their curiosity? What if Frisk ruins her spirit out for a moment of amusement? She can't trust anything about what they do now. Their actions mean absolutely nothing in the face of the possibility. Every word, event, and act of kindness could have just been scripted by them.

Realizing that panic quickly is rising through her, Muffet tries to stop this hurricane of doubt and worry. It's too late though, her self-concern has taken full control. Her own belief in the human is being drowned under a flood of what-if's. What if they are manipulating things so she's their only supporter when everything goes to hell? What if they abandon her in her time of need? What if her emotions and friendship is just a toy to be played with to them. The small light that remains steadyfast on Frisk's side against the tide of possibilities strains against the overwhelming proof. Her rate of breathing starts to pick up as she assaults herself with this dark conundrum. How could a person trust someone who can essentially change everything on a whim?

However, the worst possibility hasn't even been brought up. Perhaps, it is a self-made mercy to her own self. The arachnid monster doesn't want to even consider that possibility. However, now that she's acknowledged its existence, the thought slowly crawls to the forefront of her mind. She can't even muster up the will to push it away. Her mental defenses have been brought down to a small strand by her own assault. A small whimper escapes her throat while she nearly retreats into herself. It doesn't matter anyway, that would only bring her closer to the idea. Her skin crawls as the doubt forms in her thoughts. What if she was just an amusing path to them? Changing the question did nothing to protect her as the true doubt comes forth. What if she means nothi-

A gentle hand on her shoulder instantly brings her out of the depths of her own fear. Grateful for the escape from her own doubts, Muffet quickly forces her eyes open. Slowly, she realizes that her breathing is rather heavy at the moment. A wave of mental exhaustion passes through her as she feels something soft around her fingers. Glancing down, the sight of her fingers pierced through the red velvet of the booth can be seen. With a slight grimace she removes her hands from her seat. That's going to cost a bit to get repaired. Yet, that fact doesn't stop the wave of relief from enveloping her. She went too deep into the possibilities. The sheer amount of branches that could happen overwhelmed her. A tired smile graces her lips as she turns to thank her savior.

Words fail her when she sees Frisk standing beside her with a worried expression on their face. The source of her internal debate just saved her. She briefly wonders if that is even ironic at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That took longer than I expected. I'm a bit late in updating this, but do not worry! I still have kept the schedule! Anyways, this chapter turned from being a bonding moment between Red and Muffet into the pure scope of possibilities present.
> 
> It's hard to know exactly how much a single person affects everyone around them with their choices. A slight altering in what happened could have massive changes, and people tend to associate these alternate scenarios in the form of the most dangerous types of questions: What-if questions.
> 
> The dreaded What-Ifs are questions that can completely destroy a person's self-esteem, trash relationships, and put quite a few people into existential crises. However, these can be brushed aside if one remembers that they can't change the past. Now, put those kind of questions along with a person that can change the past.
> 
> Not only could it severely affect the person who can, those who know about it could be sent into a very specific existential crisis about their companion. Muffet just experienced a small bit of that. Doubt is a natural thing about anything, but the dreaded questions could amplify it to unreasonable levels.
> 
> Oh, as always, should you be inclined, please review or pm me to tell me what you thought! I love to hear what you people think.
> 
> Now that I've made several of you depressed or question your outlook on life, I have to go!
> 
> See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	18. The Answer to Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, last chapter didn't work out how I was planning, but I hope to fix that! This chapter should do it!
> 
> I won't tell you what that is thought. It's a just in case thing.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale! You should know this!

Staring up into the human's eyes, Muffet could see their concern as clearly as the sun in a clear blue sky. Just like staring at the bright sun, she glances away from the sight. Her embarrassment feels a bit overwhelming at the moment. Having one's thoughts completely overtake someone is nothing new, but the fact that the source of her worries essentially pulled her out of it makes her a bit uncomfortable. Especially with that whispering doubt pointing out that the human's timing is a bit too perfect. Normally, she would crush the thought before greeting her friend. However, the storm of self made doubts she was just pulled out of is still too fresh in her mind.

Maybe Frisk did know that she was being submerged under a tidal wave of terrible chances. If they used their ability to stop her from going too far it would be both nice and suspicious. In her current state of mind, the act was leaning more towards suspicious. Why would they want to do that? Did she do something that they didn't like in the future? Was this the starting point for their relationship to deteriorate? The arachnid monster's eyes narrow at the wall as she pushes those thoughts aside. Apparently, her doubts haven't been suppressed all the way. A throb of pain echos within herself as she has to remind herself that Frisk has never shown even an instant of taking advantage of anyone. Well, at least that she's known.

Still, a person can't hide that kind of intent twenty-four hours a day. No, they would slip up sooner or later, and possibly without even noticing that they slipped up. If the human she has come to know had any inkling of doing something suspicious then she would have noticed. Of course, that damn voice of her lingering doubt whispers that she never noticed the effects of their unique abilities. That infuriates her beyond measure as she mentally shouts back that no one could have noticed that. The surge of self-directed anger tenses her body up a bit as she rains hell down on the doubt that plagues her. Frisk has only been nice to her, has only been kind to her, has spent time with her when they could be doing _anything_ else!

They've supported her when things were bad, encouraged her when she was doubting, and helped her when she was on her last legs. There is no reason to be doubting her friend in the slightest. Hell, if they did turn back the clock to stop her from thinking these thoughts then it must have hurt her later on! Frisk would never even consider for the smallest instant to abuse their determination like that! In fact, it wouldn't be such a stretch to believe that they wouldn't abuse it should they be about to die! She can nearly feel herself starting to hyperventilate in pure rage at herself. Doubt is no longer consuming her. Instead, her self-hatred is enveloping her with the intensity of a white hot flame threatening to burn everything around it.

The anger didn't even last half as long as the doubt. Just like an actual flame, it was far too intense to last very long. Yet, it still left her feeling drained of energy while she can't help but feel a bit hollow. A sigh escapes Muffet's lips as she looks from the wall down to her lap. Her lowest hands mess around with a bit of the fluff that was removed from the velvet cushion. In one thinking session alone she had nearly drowned in doubt before going in the other extreme by burning herself empty with rage. Maybe she shouldn't do these things alone. The information would probably overwhelm her every time unless she has someone to help lead her through it. The idea is certainly more appealing than stumbling through this blindly.

As if trying to offer their own aid, Frisk's hand tightens slightly on her shoulder. It was a small act, but the subtle meaning is still there. They're still there for her should she need it. The remarkable ease that they've drawn a smile from her is not only appreciated, but welcomed wholeheartedly. She's already had a long day with those four troublemakers destroying her last nerve before half the day was gone. In hindsight, attempting to sort through her thoughts was not the brightest idea. In fact, she would venture to say that her mind was tempered to make the experience terrible. It would be better to try again when it is more peaceful and calm so no outside force influences the process.

She should also make sure that she has someone there to help her out. The left over tension of her anger leaves her body as she looks up at her friend again. The dual feeling of relief and guilt is quite the odd mixture to fill up the hollow sensation within her. They both stem from the same source, the look of worry on her friend's face. Guilt makes perfect sense since she doesn't want to worry the human anymore than she already has, but relief is not something she should feel. Her smile nearly falters when she wonders why she is feeling that. Is it because they still are worried? Perhaps, but the spider girl is not going to dwell on that at the moment.

Instead, she should take advantage of the opportunity "Thank you dearie," Her smile grows a little bit as she stands up from the booth "I needed to be snapped out of that." There is no harm in telling them the truth. That is as long as she doesn't let her doubts slip. Burdening them with the knowledge that she faltered in her faith for them is not something she wants to do. She can handle that part by herself. No matter how many times she feels that, she'll crush the doubts under her heel. Still, why does a small part of her feel as if that is a lie?

"What were you thinking of?" Even though the question should have been expected, the young monster still finds herself a bit unprepared for it. That didn't stop her from having a lie on the tip of her tongue in an instant though. Her mind managed to catch up to her mouth just in time to stop it from speaking it. It was strange, her natural instinct was to give the human completely false information, but she couldn't do that to them. They deserve to know some of what she was thinking about. They just shouldn't know all of it.

Carefully, she thinks about how to tell Frisk a partial truth "I was thinking about," How does one even state this? "What I learned about back in that cave." There it is. Simple, true, but not everything. Keeping things simplistic helps quite a bit. The change of worry to understanding as the human's expression is a nice bonus as well. The relief that she had felt alongside her guilt quickly overpowered the negative feeling. That is until her friend takes her lower right hand in their own. Unusual shyness soon becomes the most prominent feeling she can register at that moment. The human really seems to like taking that hand in theirs for some reason.

D-damn it, her own thought is making her face heat up "Let's go somewhere private." The young girl nods absentmindedly as she focuses on getting the blush off of her face. Unfortunately, that fails massively when her mind fully takes in what the human had said. For reasons beyond her own understanding, Muffet's mind almost instantaneously took that in the wrong way. Her mind may or may not have conjured up some images of her and her companion. Those figurative images may have also ranged from innocent to passionately kissing each other, but that would be terribly embarrassing to think of. Also, there is no proof of that happening.

There will never be proof of those kinds of thoughts. With the ruthlessness that she normally reserves for the murderers of her family, the arachnid baker grinded the, non-proven, images to dust while letting Frisk lead her towards the back. Okay, the destination is really not helping, and is Red giving her a suggestive grin!? Her mouth almost dropped in disbelief as she looked at the younger monster. The girl even had the nerve to wink to her as the human leads her past! That is not right! All three of them are too young to be thinking about that, much less imaging something like it! Not that one of them are. It just shouldn't happen, that's all.

Muffet has to suppress a groan of embarrassment as she buries herself in a deeper hole. She really shouldn't be going down this train of thought. Why even is she thinking about this? The human obviously just wants to talk to her. Probably about what she was thinking about. Really, she should be dedicating what small shreds of mental energy she has left towards planning what to say instead of this. She needs to ignore the implications that her mind is making up right now. Ignore the inappropriate thoughts, ignore the distractions around her, ignore the warmth of their hand in hers.

Okay, maybe don't ignore that one. In all seriousness, it is surprising how warm their hand really is. Her bakery is already well heated. Her family needs it that way just to survive. However, Frisk's hand feels much warmer than their surroundings. How is that possible? Scanning over her friend's body she finds nothing that would really help their hands be how they are right now. No gloves, no mittens, and not even one of those hand warmers. In fact, the only extra article of clothing they have is the purple and blue hoodie that she made them. That never fails to make her smile. She supposes that's because she is glad that her present is being used well. Though the question of how sturdy the cloth is a good source of contemplation.

Even if it does feel just as good as cotton, her creation is still made out of spider silk. Her own personal spider silk at that. Now, regular spider silk is suppose to have more durability than a steel cable under duress. That makes being torn apart pretty much out of the question, but in what other ways could it be damaged? Puncture marks are common for pockets on coats. People tend to carry around sharpened objects in one way or another. Even enough pressure on the graphite of a pencil could sooner or later make a hole in the pocket, but what would that do against the strength of an arachnid's silk? A web can't make a good comparison to a solid cloth due to its thin structure. Her personal web wouldn't be a good comparison either because of its thick structure.

As they stepped into her room the absurdity of her thoughts are made clear to her. She's thinking about the durability of spider silk clothing against puncture. What the heck lead her thoughts to that? Wondering how warm the human's hands are? Good god, she does need to get some sleep if she can't even get her thoughts on something right in front of her. Red seemed to be doing fine out there, so that isn't an issue. Tomorrow is the real issue. It is painfully obvious that the spider baker can't do a full day again since her mind has fallen apart before closing time. A unannounced half-day will not be good for business. Yet, there is no way around that happening. She has no help around here that could work up front! The former royal guard can't stay home from school to take care of her problems.

Letting herself being helped onto her bed made out of web, Muffet can't help but sigh at the trouble one single incident is causing her "Alright, what's the matter spider girl?" Now a groan escapes her lips as the distorted voice reaches her ears. More specifically, her left ear. Glancing over beside her, she can see the soul fragment floating outside of Frisk's body. That should have at least startled her, but the sight before her catches her attention. Unlike last time, the murderous being's body doesn't seem to be being made out of black syrupy liquid. That's probably good considering that the thing on top of her bed and if that can get stuck on her web, she doesn't want it to.

However, out of the near invisible cracks of the damaged soul comes a blackened smoke that forms into the shape of a 'human' being. The truly unnerving thing is the fact that it's black and red eyes are the first thing solidified as opposed to the last. While it was the sight only lasted a moment, the sight of those eyes staring at her in a darker than night smoke was likely to cause nightmares later on. Luckily, the rest of the murderous thing quickly became solid after that. She supposes that she's lucky that it wasn't a prolonged experience. Its also fortunate that Chara has a handle on their killer intent as well since she enjoys being able to walk instead of crawl.

The young baker does have to admit though, the being knows how to make an appearance "You got something to say?" With the dark being's eyes being half-lidded while its lips are quirked up slightly, it looks like it is both amused as well as bored at the same time "Are you that amazed?" In all honesty, she is a bit amazed. However, she'll never admit that to it. That sort of satisfaction is not something she'll give to the being that admitted to killing her in multiple timelines. Her skin begins to tingle slightly as she remembers some of the visions she was forced to experience. It was almost as if she's experiencing them again. Wait, that tingling sensation is going up her arm and it feels like the point of something rather sharp.

She is experiencing it again "Don't make that assumption dearie," Okay, she just needs to distract herself from the feeling and it'll go away "I only stared at you because you proved something to me." Her lowest hands grip her webs to give herself a solid physical sensation to focus on. The slight banter she's having is doing a good job keeping her mind focused on what is happening now rather than in her mind. It's odd, but the very being that had hurt her is now going to be helping her through the pain it caused. Her arm spasms slightly as she felt the tip go over the flesh of the underside of her elbow.

Trying to keep the other two's focus on her expression, she lets herself smile wide enough that her fangs are revealed "What would that be?" The tactic seemed to work well enough with Chara as it raises an eyebrow in interest. The spider monster isn't exactly sure about Frisk though. Her focus is on the being using their body as a safe spot after all. Through her peripheral vision, she can kind of see them looking in her direction, but there isn't anything clear that she can make out from the corner of her eyes. She'll just have to hope that they didn't notice it. Besides, the feeling is getting fainter as she continues to focus on the present.

Dead or alive, people can still be predictable though "You're full of hot air." She certain that Sans would enjoy that joke. At least the human did. Their laughter echoes around the room pleasantly to her ears. Her smile only widens with the sound. The feeling against her upper arm practically disappears while she joined in with her own giggles. With her eyes still watching Chara's, the young monster could see that the being didn't really look that amused. Instead, its gaze looked to be mildly irritated by the joke. Well, it could also be the reaction to said joke, but nonetheless it doesn't look very pleased.

It's the being's fault for walking straight into the joke "See if I ever make my body like that again." The childish act of crossing its arms only makes Muffet laugh louder in amusement "I'll just let your bed get covered in my physical being next time!" The whiny exclamation was met with more laughter. It also showed something about Chara. No matter how dangerous the being is, no matter how many monster or humans it slaughters, it is still just a child who didn't get to become a teen. The revelation is almost as amazing as the fact that murderous thing's killing intent hasn't become noticeable yet.

There just might be some hope for the fragmented soul after all "Relax and laugh a little bit Chara," She can't help but nod in agreement with Frisk's suggestion "We're not enemies here." They're not quite friends either, but she keeps that little comment to herself. No need to disrupt the surprisingly peaceful moment. She never did get to think about the dark thing's existence. However, she doubt that she would ever think that all three of them would be able to just sit down and talk. Really, she thought they would attempt to stab her or something.

Sooner than she would have liked, the laughter died down with a heavy silence taking its place. At least, it felt heavy to her. The room's air feels a bit stifling as the other two stare at her. Their gazes alone makes her feel more than a bit uncomfortable. She knows what they're thinking, they want some answers. They want to know what made her so distressed earlier. Unfortunately, the baker hasn't thought of a conversation path that would reveal just enough to satisfy their want. The act would have been difficult enough with only Frisk here, but Chara would probably want to know out of sadistic curiosity. Vague answers just wouldn't do for it. It would want to know the full scenario.

She doesn't want either of them to know the full scenario "Muffet," Just barely managing to keep her body from going rigid, she glances over at her friend "Do you want us to help you?" Blinking slowly, she stares at the human in silence "With understanding this mess?" They must have mistaken her silence for confusion. She isn't confused by the offer. No, she's just thinking about the risks and rewards for accepting it. On one hand, both Chara and Frisk must have extensive knowledge on the whole determination and timelines thing. They could possibly make the entire thing much easier to comprehend. There even is the possibility of learning more about the being that decided to hijack her friend's body multiple times.

However, she also sees the repercussions as severe. Perhaps it is just leftover paranoia, but the chances of both of them learning her surge of doubt is a bit terrifying to her. For Chara, the dark being could find multiple psychological ways to break her down should it take control once more. Ways far more horrifying than just simply being murdered multiple times. Ways that could break her spirit and will thus making her more than just willing to beg for the end to come. A shiver goes through her just thinking about it. For Frisk, the knowledge could put a permanent crack in their relationship. If she has a lack of trust in them, why should they put any faith in her?

The human could stop visiting her, stop helping her, and even stop being her friend. The idea sends a harsh pang of guilt and pain through her being. She doesn't have many friends to begin with, and Frisk has been the most selfless companion she probably will ever meet. If they would just vanish from her life then a good deal of her drive would go with them. It's a bit of an eye opener for the spider monster. She's a lot more reliant on the human than she thought she was. Yet, she doesn't deny it. Instead, she grows even more worried that her closest friend would disappear on her.

Maybe the knowledge isn't worth it. She could work through what she knows by herself. The first experience is always the worst in every experience right? So, the worst is behind her. The experience has taught her the dangers of going too fast into analyzing the implications of Frisk's determination. All she needs to do now is just tell them no. Just tell them that she'll be fine. Simple and easy in theory. In practice, not so much. The words are stuck on the tip of her tongue as something stops her from dismissing the two's help. She doesn't even know why she hasn't given her answer yet. Frustration begins to build up inside her as she tries to force the words out. Still the words defy her by remaining choked in her throat.

Then the whisper is back, warning her of the possibility of falling back into the depths of doubt. Even with all the times she has crushed the voice in her mind, it just keeps on coming back. What is this thing? Something residing in her body? Is it a spirit that has decided to haunt her? Or is it simply her inner worries? The chances of that being the case are very high. Everytime she has felt indecisive is because of this voice. Just before acting on anything important, it always told her what could happen if things went wrong. Rarely does she listen decide to listen to it. Her confidence usually helps her go through with the plans that she has made. The thought of wavering just as she reaches her goal is something she despises.

Yet, one of those rare occasions was when she met Frisk for the first time. The money offered to her was more than enough to get her family out of the Ruins several times over. All she had to do was rip the human's soul out of their body. It would have been perfect. Not only would her family be fine, but she could deliver the soul to a monster who would certainly help break the barrier. The young monster thought it would have been so easy. Then she actually saw them. Just a young child around her age with a striped blue and purple shirt. She remembered them, they had bought one of her ridiculously high priced doughnuts. Certainly this child wasn't her prey right?

The voice had spoken up then. This human isn't what the person had described. They're kind and generous! Not cruel and stingy. They didn't even have the slightest bit of dust on them. Instead, they have bruised blemishes on their skin. Scratches and cuts that ooze a slight crimson. She had watched them approach her web with weakened and shaky legs while she spoke about how she was told her relatives were treated on the surface. When she had finally revealed herself she could see every beaten and injured part of them. Almost without thinking, she switched the tone of her speech to a kinder tone. The voice must have been right, this child is no threat to monsters. They don't need to die. Because of them, she already has enough to save her family.

She had spared them back then because of the whispering doubt in the back of her mind. Perhaps, she should listen to it once more. Taking in a deep breath, Muffet steels herself. This won't end her friendship with the human, it will only bring forth understanding. Besides, she is a master of manipulating words and people alike. They won't learn of her doubts. Even if they do, shouldn't she trust what she screamed in her mind earlier? Maybe her doubts are affecting her more than she would like to admit. So, no she will not hide from this matter. She will listen, speak, and learn. Not everything, there is simply too much to learn everything in one sitting, but enough.

"Yes," Her answer is already out before she could change her mind "I would love some help dearies." It was too late to back out of this entire thing anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending there! I realize that Cliffhangers can be rather annoying, but they are needed. What keeps you guys coming back? The want to know, the need to complete the picture, and for laughing at terrible writing!
> 
> Okay not all of you do the last one. In fact, I am certain most of you don't. You people are very kind.
> 
> Not much to say here, but please Comment! I would love to know what you guys think. It would help me understand where to go from here. You don't have to if you don't want to though.
> 
> Little add on here: This fic is now my best in every aspect. Views, comments, kudos, followings. Top out of every Fic I've made. Thank you guys very much!
> 
> Anyways, I need to go now. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	19. Getting Answers and More Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back baby! Right after posting the last chapter. This is getting to be a bit of a habit. Nothing new to say within the ten minutes since posting.
> 
> Let's do this!
> 
> Disclaimer: I still don't own Undertale. Doubt I ever will too.

The hardest thing to do about anything is the start. How does one begin to write a story? How is someone sure that they'll enjoy playing an instrument? How does a person know they will benefit from starting a new sport? The simple answer is that they don't. They don't know, they aren't certain, and they won't find out until they try. A person's uncertainty could be linked to a multitude of things like doubt, fears, skepticism. However, to Muffet it looks like that Chara and Frisk legitimately don't know where to start explaining. She doesn't rush them though, this will be hard enough as it is. Uncertainty is steadily growing in the back of her mind as she wonders how this is going to work.

There is quite a lot that she would love to know. What is the limit to the SAVE and LOAD power? How much determination does the two of them have? How many times have the two of them used it to rewind the clock? Her lips form a strained line as she looks down at her lap. In reality, she only wants to know how many times did Frisk go back. That knowledge alone would either soothe or ignite her doubts. There are risks to knowing this stuff, but she's already taken some big gambles. What's one or two more? Frankly, she's on a pretty good streak so far. The chance of it falling apart all around her may be high, but she might as well go all in. Taking in another deep breath, she looks up at Frisk.

The human looks to be deep in thought. They might be collecting their thoughts, or considering where to begin. Wanting to get a general feel for what they might be feeling, she quickly examines them. Body doesn't seem to be tense, no creases or lines around mouth or eyes, and no signs of nervous twitches. Whatever Frisk seems to be thinking about, it isn't enough for them to be worried about. Glancing over at Chara, the young monster give it a look over as well. Strangely, the fragmented being seems to be about the same. There is only a few small differences in posture and habits, but overall it seems to be at ease as well. Her own body's tension becomes painfully obvious after giving the other two a look over.

Her back must be as stiff as a board with how straight she is sitting. Her fangs gnaw slightly on her bottom lip as her eyes look around. Any attempt to reign in her anxiousness is failing miserably as her lowest set of hands drum a quick beat on her legs. A wince nearly makes its way onto her expression as some of her own nervous ticks are kicking in. Using as much of her will as she can, the spider monster tries to still her body. While her attempts are successful, her body seems to lock up on itself from the effort to stay perfectly still. God, it feels so uncomfortable to her. Why can't she be at ease as well? Does she really fear what she is about to learn that much?

"How about we start before Muffet here has a heart attack?" Startled by Chara's voice, she looks over at it with wide eyes. Her heart nearly skips a beat in subdued surprise when she see the murderous being's crimson pupils staring directly at her. The beat of her heart starts to quicken under its gaze. Didn't she just examine Chara? It couldn't have been more than two minutes at most. So, when did it switch its focus onto her? Although, it doesn't really matter when her body was as tense as it is. It would only take a glance from anyone to tell how anxious she is at the moment. An embarrassed groan nearly escapes her lips when she realizes that. So much for being able to keep her nerves.

She could at least to regain some dignity "Sorry, I just don't know where to start." Well, she certainly shares that sentiment with Frisk "If you just tell us what exactly were you thinking about," Wow, she didn't really think her body could become even stiffer than before, but her creaking spine isn't appreciating her physical response "Then we could explain what was worrying you." Seriously, how isn't her vertebrates not popping out of place from how stiff she's getting? Shakily, she tries to take a deep breath through her nose before exhaling through her mouth. The monster girl needs to relax herself a little. She's working herself up too much by this! Taking a few more deep breaths, her body slowly loses some of its tension.

Why is she so worried anyways? Didn't she just remind herself that Frisk isn't that type of person? They wouldn't toss someone aside like that. Chara most likely would, but that thing isn't the human she knows. It isn't the person she adores. She can trust them no matter what happens. The tension she worked onto herself slowly drains away as she manages to smile a bit to reassure her friend. Now, all she needs to do is tell them what started the downward spiral of doubts, not where it lead. Simple enough. Yet, she had a feeling that the fragmented soul might be more perceptive than she first considered. This might be a bit harder than she first considered.

However, everyone needs a challenge every now and then "I was trying to sort through the information I had gotten from that flower and Sans dearie." Best to start off a bit vague and build it up from there. Vibrations run through the web she is sitting on as Chara shifts its weight a bit. As tempting as it would be to glance over at the dark being, Muffet keeps her attention on Frisk. Hopefully, she'll only need to hear the fragmented soul's response in order to change tactics if needed. That leaves her sight staying firmly on her friend to gauge their reactions. She cares more about what they think anyways.

Now, she just needs to start out slow "It started with these 'Alternate Memories'," Locking eyes with Frisk, she nearly blushed under their undivided attention "I just went over a review of what I already knew." Remembering her own confusion on how these events actually affect someone in this timeline, it seemed like a good point to start with "How exactly does these experiences start? What triggers them?" A frown nearly curls onto her lips when the human glances over beside her. They must be looking at Chara. For what reason, she doesn't know. However, she remains patient as she waits for an answer.

Unfortunately, it isn't her friend that speaks up to answer "We really don't know _how_ they happen," It's a struggle not to give the fragmented soul an incredulous look as her eyes shift over to it "What we can tell you is what triggers them." Not exactly what she wanted to know, but at least it is something. So, the arachnid girl gives it her attention for the moment. Although, it seems a bit annoyed by the fact she didn't turn to face it. It is a bit tempting to continue looking at the dark being like she is now. In fact, it's extremely tempting. Something within her just enjoy pressing its buttons. She's never wanted to do that to a person that she knows can easily kill her before.

It's odd really "From my own personal experience with Sansy," The venom in Chara's voice when it mentions the short skeleton sparks a warning in Muffet's mind "Alternate Memories tend to occur when you are presented with something that reminds you about how you died in a different timeline." When something reminds you? How can a person be reminded of something that never happened to them? Well, never happened to them in their timeline. A pained groan nearly escapes her lips with the mental correction she made. The feeling that this is going to get really complicated is creeping up on her.

Reminding herself that this is no time for distractions, the spider baker returns her attention back to the murderous being "Believe it or not, everyone experiences these Alternate Memories," That catches her off guard a bit "But they don't experience it like we do." So, everyone else is spared from the horrible deaths or pain? That is a bit unfair, but at least there is something positive from all this. A closer connection to those who do. Honestly, besides Frisk, she wouldn't mind making more of a connection with Sans. Recently, the comedian's inner depression has been showing up from time to time. That, or she's just started to notice the indications. Disappointment wells up inside her at the idea that, despite her observational skills, she has been missing the signs.

Now is not the time for that though "You've heard of the term 'deja vu' right?" Chara's question almost seems a bit out of nowhere. Yet, she still nods in confirmation that she's heard of it. Who hasn't? It's the sensation of someone feeling like they've already been through something before. Muffet's train of thought nearly continued on without a second glance at the possible connections before it hit the brakes hard. The sensation of someone feeling like they've already- What if they really did already experience it? That weird feeling of familiarity that seemingly comes out of nowhere, could it be? Now, she turns to face Chara with widened eyes as she connects the dots.

Of course, the deceased troublemaker merely smirks before giving a slow condescending nod. Ignoring the insulting action, her mind races through all the times she's experienced deja vu herself. Handling knives, baking her treats, sleepily getting out of bed, walking out to the store. There have been times where she's felt a very strong sense of repetition of actions. However, if Alternate Memories only show when someone is about to die that would mean something terrifying. A shiver runs through her spine as she shakily looks down through her web to the floor. In different timelines she died at those moments. The knives and going to the store she can understand, but how can someone die by just baking something? How does someone die by getting out of bed!?

In an unwanted analyzation, her mind races through the possibilities. A slip of the hand could cause some nasty slice to her throat, cut off her hand, or even worse. Shakily, her top right hand goes up to her throat and covers it. Her stomach is twisting up in knots as mental made images go flash before her eyes. Tripping off a length of her web before cracking her head against the hard floor makes her shudder. Stumbling backwards with a knife accidentally being tossed into the air makes her nearly puke when the blade gets buried into her chest. No, stop the thoughts now! Shaking her head violently, the spider monster tries to focus on something else, anything else.

God, she may never view those simple tasks the same ever again "Already too much for you?" The full force of her deadly glare is turned onto Chara. It doesn't faze the fragmented soul in the slightest, but her eyes quickly stops being narrowed as she sees it's expression. It's not a haughty look of amusement she expected. Rather, the thing actually looks mildly concerned. That may be the strangest thing that has happened so far. The two of them have barely been civil to one another in the two times they have met. Yet, the dark being that has probably seen her dust being scattered more times than she would ever want to consider may be worried for her? Well, her mind isn't going to be wrapping around that anytime soon.

Better just move on and ponder what that is about later "I'm fine," Averting her gaze back to Frisk, she sees them openly looking worried for her "Let's just move on." The slow nod from her friend calms her down a little. She should have known that they would never pressure her in the first place. Still, seeing that for herself helps reassure her quite a bit. Forcing her mind back on the task at hand, the young monster thinks back to her doubt-filled breakdown. The next step she took after that was alternate timelines. Glancing back over to Chara for a moment before back to Frisk she decides to skip that one. She has a feeling that Sans could explain that one better. Why she feels that is beyond her, but she trusts it for now.

That would mean the next part would be, "What can you tell me about determination?" This is more alongs the line of curiosity than needing to know. One of the first things that was apparent when everyone went beyond the barrier was that Mankind apparently forgot about the power of their soul. They didn't seem to know what the true meaning behind determination was. Instead, they just made it into a feeling of being motivated. Not the source of power that it really is. She can faintly recall being told of Alphys being a bit offended by the human scientists scoffing at her knowledge of it. Funny thing is soon after being told that, rumors of those scientist's cars being flipped over in the parking lot.

After that human minds seem to be more willing to listen "From what I know, determination is the power of the soul." The calming sound of Frisk's voice gently gets her to focus on them "Every being has some whether they are monsters," The gesture towards her nearly gets her lips to quirk up slightly "Humans," Their left hand covers the center of their chest "Or even the dead." She doesn't need to see the nod of their head to the being beside to know who they are talking about. So far the human seems to know the basics of what determination is. That's good to know. However, if she should need to help inform them then she will. In fact, she'll happily help them with the merger knowledge she has.

"But that's not what you really want to know is it?" Well, here comes Chara to smash any carefully planned path "You want to know what we can do with our own determination." Resisting the urge to glare hard at the dark being, she turned to look it in the eyes as calmly as she can. It might have been too fast of turn regardless. Its smirking at her again! Taking in a deep breath again, she gives it her level gaze as she examines the being. Raised eyebrow, infuriating smirk, and does she dare say an amused glint in its eyes? Does this deadly thing know what this is about? Had it already experienced it? If that was the case, then so did Frisk and that would-

Immediately, cuts off that dangerous thought process "I will admit to being a bit curious," Caution is definitely needed here "But you don't need to tell me if you don't want to." The thought of Chara's words being a trap pass through her mind. This could be a set up for something. If it is, then she needs to avoid it. In order to do so, she gave the being her undivided attention. Her eyes keep locked onto its facial features, if there was even a twitch that hints towards something she'll do whatever she can to divert the conversation. If necessary, she use her tired state to her advantage to completely stop whatever the thing has planned.

"You already know about SAVE and LOADs," The fragmented being seemed so casual about the entire premise of rewinding time "The most we can tell you is what it feels like." Okay, now that is just completely uninformative. How could that help her understand anything about the tangled mess of information in her mind? Strangely, it was the whisper in the back of her mind that provided a useful answer to that. If she could learn the signs of how either Frisk or Chara feels after rewinding then she could possibly pin-point when they do so. This may be useful after all.

"First of all, there is never a pause as we return to the past," How could there be a pause when going back in the first place? "It's always instantaneous. Almost like we just teleported to a different location that also happens to be in the past." Like teleportation? The memory of Sans taking her to Frisk and Flowey goes through her mind. That did only take an instant to do. Or did it? A small vision of colors blurring together breaks through the memory. She pushes it aside as she refocuses on Chara. Where did that come from?

"In short measures of time, there is no real effects. We just need to get our bearings and we're fine," That's a bit disappointing to hear. So, there is no way for her to tell if they've come back from a future event unless she was paying very close attention. The details that would show any signs of LOADing would be so minute that scrutiny would be needed to just get a hint. She can't be examining them closely every second of when they see each other! Not only would that be extremely uncomfortable, but frankly doing so would be creepy. Really, really creepy. So, seeing the signs are out.

At least that's what she thought "However, if we need to go back a long period of time then there are some side effects." Chara's words get her full attention as she tries to appear to be politely listening "There has been more than one time where we both feel extremely disoriented and dizzy," Noticing that the fragmented soul's eyes grew distant, Muffet watches as it looks down at its hands "Sometimes there is a weird feeling. Like someone was gripping a wrist or grabbing an arm." All she could do was blink at that information. She doesn't really know what to make of that.

Although, her middle left wrist tingles a bit for some odd reason "Other than that, we're fine." The dark being's eyes sharpen once more. It must have pulled itself out of whatever it was thinking of. She knows she should still be feeling some disappointment at the almost useless information, but her mind is a bit stuck on the last bit of information. What may be even stranger is that the more she thinks about it, the more intensely her wrist tingles. Something is missing here. Some knowledge or experience. Not quite knowing what made her think that, she tentatively turns her attention back to the other two. She can ponder that later when she has more mental energy.

Pushing past that, she finds herself stuck on what to do. She's reached the point where she started her downward spiral of doubting. The experience was something of an eye opener for her, but it isn't something she would wish to discuss with the source of those temporary doubts. Dutifully ignoring the voice sarcastically asking if they were really temporary, her mind quickly maps out different paths on which to direct this conversation. There is no more questions on Alternate Memories that she could get an answer to. If she chanced talking more about determination then their is a possibility of revealing her doubts. Her bottom lip nearly gets gnawed on from her fangs as she analyzes the situation.

The path back bears no more fruit. The way forward is filled with too much danger to consider. There is only one positive solution left, to take another path. Where could she direct this conversation? Her want for understanding is thoroughly quenched, so what about her want to know more about the other two in the room? The obvious choice would be to ask about Frisk themself. However, the helpful and harmful voice in the back of her mind warns of caution. The human has never talked about their past in the entire time she has known them. Not a single time. Even after she spoke of her ancestry, experiences, and struggles they have kept their own secret.

There must be a reason for that. The chance that their past was something that they didn't want to share has gone through her mind more than once. It would be better not to chance bringing up unfavorable situation. Glancing over at Chara beside her, the arachnid girl eyes it. That would leave the mysterious, and murderous, being left to talk about. Admittedly, she is quite curious about it. She knows human souls can last some time after the body's death, but something in the back of her mind gives her the feeling that Chara is a unique case. Though, not because it used Frisk's body for a safe haven. This sudden intuition confuses her. How could she suspect that? There is nothing to give that idea.

More and more questions just keep on building up "Chara, I have some questions for you dearie," Seeing the dark being slightly tense up, she decides to start with something simple yet crucial "If I may ask, how exactly did you die?" Oh, regret settled within her instantly. It didn't even take a moment for the thing's killer intent to skyrocket. Her strength fails her from the onslaught on her senses. Unprepared for the burst of hatred, her soul feels like it is about to be torn apart by just being next to the fragmented soul. Instinct took over rationality as she quickly crawled backwards away from it.

"No, you may not. "If she wasn't trembling so much, she may have found it strange that Chara's voice was so calm, but at the moment survival is her main concern "I think I'm done here. Spend some quality time with your 'friend' Frisk." There isn't even any venom in its voice! That might not matter though when everyone can sense the being's displeasure. Silently, the terrified monster watches as the smoke it was composed of got sucked back up into its damaged remains of a soul. Her eyes followed the dark red representation of Chara's being as it goes back within Frisk. She grew even more frightened when the kind human shuddered violently while clenching their fists.

The dark being's emotions were clearly affecting her friend, and it was her fault. Through the haze of self-preservation she can faintly register the feeling of guilt. How did she think that asking about someone's _death_ would be the good way to start? That was crude, untactful, and most of all idiotic to ask. What the hell is wrong with her? Wrapping her arms around herself, Muffet tries to calm herself while looking down through her web. Any chance to learn more has officially been tossed out the window. Most likely the chance of getting any help in the future went with it. This time she doesn't avoid biting down on her bottom lip with her fangs.

A hollow pit started to form in her as she thinks about braving the rest of the confusion alone. She doesn't even have the confidence in herself to do that without falling into complete depression. At least that voice whispering doubt in her ears isn't speaking up right now. She already has enough to deal with without it making things worse. The sound of footsteps cruelly rip her out of her thoughts as she looks up to see Frisk slowly walking towards the entrance of the room. The hollow pit quickly envelopes her entire being as she watches them leave without at least glancing her way. Great, she messed up so much that her friend doesn't even want to speak with her anymore.

That thought quickly gets disproven as her friend stopped right at the entrance "I'll talk to you later Muffet." Her heart drops at the despondent tone that Frisk had. It sounded so wrong, so out of place for the cheerful human to talk like that. Did she really make things that bad? Or maybe is Chara talking to them from the inside of them? She'll probably never even know if that is possible at this point. All she could do is watch as the human stepped out of the room. The smallest bit of warmth she has comes from the fact that they stopped to speak to her before leaving. It is the smallest glimmer of hope for a possible fix to the situation. However, it is overpowered by the painfully empty feeling she has.

Something new in the back of her mind wiggles into her thoughts. A new voice, one that sounds like her when she is ripping a person apart with only words. A whimper escapes her throat as she hears it. It's much louder than the whispering voice of warning, and it is so much crueler. Thoughts of losing her friend because of this enters her mind. Harsh hindsight practically smacks her in the face. The unwanted voice goads her as it tells her that she is no master of words, she has no silver tongue. No, she has the subtly of a rock slide crushing a car. In a single conversation, she managed to piss off something that happily admitted that they killed every monster multiple times.

She shakes her head to clear those thoughts. She can't think like that. It was a simple mistake. Everyone makes some, and she is not above that. Taking in a shuddering breath, she stills her thoughts so she can rationally think about the situation. Her friend was affected by the emotions that she stirred up in Chara. It is possible that they were trying to keep the anger of the fragmented soul out of their own voice. If that was the case, then Frisk may be disappointed in what happened, but that does not equal hating her. The hollow pit within her begins to reside as she continues to analyze the situation. She'll see both of them another day when everything calms down again. She can start to make amends then.

It may not be the best position to be in, but it is far from redeemable. Breathing more easily now, Muffet can't help yawning as the entire day catches up with her. Having reached the limit of what she can take for the day, she lays down in the center of her web. The prospect of a better reality in her dreams is helps lull her further. Her eyes slowly close while her thoughts drift off into the land of sleep. Everything simply turns dark as her consciousness fades.

The troubling voice forgotten for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that turned out more depressing than I thought it would. I'll try not to make it too depressing from here on out.
> 
> Edit: Okay, changed the ending here... twice. I made it less depressing. I couldn't leave it with Frisk leaving without saying a word. I couldn't leave it with Muffet berating herself to the point of actually being depressed. She's smarter and more resilient than that.
> 
> So, yeah this version of Chara doesn't like to speak of its death. Everyone learned a little bit more about stuff, and Muffet is regretting some choices made!
> 
> Um... not much else to say. Please review if you want.
> 
> I have to go. See you later. Bye.
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	20. Days Passing like a Spring Breeze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting this directly after the last one. Anything noteworthy shall be at the bottom.
> 
> Let's start.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. If I did, then the positive endings probably wouldn't be there.

It would take the rest of the week before Muffet got to see Frisk again. Learning her lesson from trying to run a full day, her family made a sign warning of the fact that it will be half-days until she is fully recovered. Surprisingly, no one ever made a complaint about that. Her customers were very understanding about it. Some even come in much earlier than normal to buy what they would normally get in the afternoon. It was a bit strange to be making about the same amount of money of a full work day within half of the time, but she isn't complaining. Rather she is extremely grateful of that. Thanks to her kind and generous customers, the worry of having to cut back on everything is gone.

However, that doesn't help the fact that more and more guilt was building up as time passed. True, the human didn't always visit the bakery every day. It is also true that they could actually be busy with something. Yet, she couldn't help feel like they were avoiding her little place of business because of the stupid question she asked. In all honesty, she knows that it is very irrational for her to just assume that. Being both a child in school and the ambassador for monsterkind cannot leave someone with a lot of free time. That reason was always why she felt flattered when they chose to spend time at her quaint bakery. Even if they weren't busy, they could be just giving the fragmented soul residing within them some time to cool down.

Regardless of the reason, the spider monster's rational reassurances could only go so far before the positive possibilities sound like hollow excuses to hope. If she had been alone for longer periods of time she probably would have stopped believing her mind. Luckily, she wasn't alone very often. Throughout the days leading up to the weekend there were multiple people who came to just give her company. In the morning, the jacket wearing teen had a habit of coming around to get his usual food. For some reason though, he stayed around longer than normal and chatted with her. It was out of place, but the interaction wasn't unwanted. He even brought in little Rose to meet her darling pet.

The first meeting between said pet and the child actually went much better than expected. The young human stayed behind her older brother almost the entire time, but she did pet the spider-cupcake with a trembling hand. The fact that the lovely arachnid hybrid nuzzled into her hand probably helped too. As a bonus, Muffet finally learned the young man's name. It was Daniel, Daniel Givens. With a short laugh, he had apologized for never revealing his identity while claiming that it was an accident. The two of them still left before the main rush came to the store, but the young baker didn't get a moment to herself.

Mere moments after her first distractions left, Sans basically appeared out of nowhere next to the counter with a bottle of ketchup in his hands. Understandably, she practically fell back startled from the unexpected appearance. A light blue outline around her being was the only thing that stopped her from falling flat on her rear. Once her heart had settled in her chest, the two of them just made pleasant conversation while an odd thought came to her mind. Perhaps the short skeleton would know a way to help make amends with Chara. There was no line of reasoning for thinking about that other than the fact that Sans seems to remember things in alternate timelines.

Of course, it didn't go very well "You got Chara angry?" The tone he had was both strained and amused at the same time "Heh, nice one Muffet." Needless to say, that wasn't very helpful at all, but she decided to give him a moment to think. Well, also to collect himself since his pupils vanished from view. The sight isn't as unpleasant as the first time she saw it, but that doesn't mean she's not worried for him when it happens. From what the young monster could tell, his eyes only disappear when he is thinking heavily about something. At least, that's what she believes based on the fact the comedic skeleton always is sweating when that happens.

Tossing aside the fact that skeletons shouldn't be able to sweat, she nearly began biting her bottom lip again "That isn't a joke Sans," She really needs his help right now "Do you have any idea how I can begin mending the damage?" Despite the situation, she keeps any sign of desperation out of her voice. Even if he doesn't help, she could still find something to start the healing process. All hope won't be lost. No, a very good chunk of it will just be temporarily missing. Okay, optimism was starting to falter greatly at that point. It's hard to keep up a positive view on things when her mind keeps on telling her that it is all her fault. The thing isn't even subtle like the other voice, it just makes its statement loud and clear.

It's really starting to wear her down "Well," She didn't even know her eyes could focus that quickly on Sans "There was this rumor about the kid when it was alive, but I'm not sure how accurate it is." If only hearsay is available, then the young baker will take what she can get for the chance of an advantage. Better to have tried and lost than to have just watched the opportunity pass by right? If necessary, she will weaponize, so to speak, every bit of knowledge available to give her the best chance of reaching her goal.

Still, the old rumors are surprising to hear. Who knew the fragmented soul who had murdered everything in the underground could possibly have the slightest bit of an innocent side to them. Yet, if they hold true then making amends might be much easier than she thought. As thanks for the information, the young girl offered to make something especially for him. He denied the request claiming he didn't have the stomach for such rich treats. So, he just asked for another bottle of ketchup to drink. The idea of a skeleton drinking down a condiment looks just as strange as the idea sounds. Muffet honestly doesn't have the slightest clue of where the red substance goes, and she is certain that she doesn't want to know.

Even the lazy skeleton had places to be when closing time came around. He usually didn't say bye himself as he chose to leave some notes behind on the counter. Somehow, he always wrote in some goofy style that looked like it belonged on a computer screen. Two things were always constant about what he wrote. One would be thanking her for giving him some ketchup, and the other would be a different spider pun at the end. The jokes aren't even in the actual note, they're just written at the very end. It was almost like he was too lazy to try and integrate them into the words written above, but that seems unlikely. Even Sans has his limits on how laid back he can be.

So, it was more like he left them there to help cheer her up. To the monster baker, the gesture was greatly appreciated. Enough so that she purposely gave him his favorite drink for free when he came back the next day. However, with the store closed and no one around to distract her the depressing thoughts slowly returned. It would never be instantly, but over time they came to the forefront of her mind. In order to repress the unwanted self-deprecation she threw herself into some chores and leftover work for a short lived distraction. It didn't help that her family was very insistent that she rested instead of doing what needed to be done. Somehow, they even managed to get her pet to turn against her as it nudged her into her room.

Clever little things. If they could speak, they would probably do just as fine as a job as she does in managing her bakery. Regardless, with her entire family not only catering to her every need but also preventing her from doing anything she was left to her thoughts. Trying her hardest not to give rise to the new voice plaguing her when her defenses are down, she brought forth kinder memories. She remembered the joy of seeing her beautiful bakery for the first time after it was completed. Fond scenes of the opening day distract her from her guilt. The elation of seeing Frisk again after the barrier was destroyed. Also the embarrassment of her family spinning a message of thanks with their webbing. It wouldn't have been so embarrassing of a thing if they hadn't threatened Frisk to 'take good care' of her.

It got worse when they threatened death by multiple varying arachnid poisons should the human fail. Well, what's family without their ability to embarrass the other family members in front of everyone who can see? Despite her efforts though, the frequent memories of Frisk brought her guilt up to new heights. Remembering what her relationship was with them inadvertently gave fuel to the deprecating voice in her head. It constantly taunted her with how things could go. In fact, the depressing thing made it clear that their relationship was destroyed because of her actions. Angering an incredibly volatile being within them that has taken over their body before is not something that can be forgiven lightly. Especially when that being has forced them to kill everyone they've come to befriend multiple times.

Her wonderful times with her friend were being turned into a weapon to shatter her confidence and self-worth. It was only by sheer luck that the assault upon her psyche was halted when her front door was knocked on. The noise pulled her out of her thoughts, but she still wasn't able to get out of bed. So, she watched some of her family go see who was bothering the bakery even with the warning sign out front. To her surprise, she could the door open for whoever it was. Confusion continued to distract her from the dark thoughts as she heard quick-paced footsteps getting louder with every step the person takes. The only person she could think of that her family would allow in would be Frisk.

Muffet's heart started to beat faster while her stomach went into knots. Conflicting feelings of hope and worry collided within her. The young baker simply wasn't prepared for a confrontation this soon. The urge to panic grew strong, but she slammed that down hard while steeling her nerves. If this was to be where she could start making things up, then she'll do what she can. Pushing herself up so she is sitting instead of laying down, she was shocked to see that Frisk wasn't the person that her family had let in. Instead of her kind hearted friend, the energetic Red comes barreling in with a smile on her face. Almost immediately, the spider monster corrects herself. Red is kind as well, the young girl is just a much more energized type of kindness rather than the gentle, listening kind she is used to.

It's still welcomed as well. Her worries drift to the back of her mind as two of them chat for a bit. Nothing really personal was revealed, but Muffet did pick up on some of the younger girl's visual signs. Every person does something to indicate what they are thinking about, and Red is no exception to this rule. In fact, the sheer amount of energy the girl has makes it even easier to pick up on if she isn't moving too fast for someone to pick up on it. Her hands fiddle with her cloak when she is excited about something, she bounces on the balls of her feet when her impatience kicks in, and she is strangely still for the most part when her interest is sparked.

The signs were not much to go on, but it helps the arachnid baker gauge how to talk to her companion. Some might call it manipulative to look for signs on how to direct a conversation. However, she considers it a tool to help grow a good friendship with the former royal guard. The fear of messing up motivates her to lead their conversations. The prospect of having another genuine friend is something that she longs for. The reality of how few friends she has really hit her in the moments like those. Still, she wasn't able to dwell on that thought for long. Somehow, Red had managed to convince her family to let the injured monster go outside. Well, that or just dragged Muffet outside before her family could react properly.

Regardless, the two monsters went to different locations every day. The first time, the younger monster took them to a simple park. Maybe she did that to help adjust the arachnid monster to being outside for prolonged experiences. She doesn't really know if that's the case though. Admittedly, it was a nice day outside and the park was nice and calm. All the injured monster did was sit down and watch the few remaining leaves start falling off onto the ground. Yet, the very next day she was brought to an arcade. The juxtaposition of the two different locations was extremely obvious as she was bombarded with loud noises and iconic virtual sounds. 'Fatality' was one that really stuck with her as she was bested over and over again. Stupid flaming ninja.

Oddly enough, the next day's location turned out to be a simple movie theater. By that point, the spider monster was sure that her companion was trying different locations just to see which one fit. The thought brought a smile to her lips. The movie itself wasn't too bad, a lot of action with apparently iconic characters, but it wasn't something she'd watch repetitively. That didn't really matter though as each day coming up to the weekend was filled with people helping to distract her. They each took her away from the dark thoughts that threatened to envelop her mind, and she's is extremely grateful for all of their efforts. However, she must put those thoughts behind her for now.

Today is Saturday. The only day of the week that Frisk had practically promised to show up, no matter what. Armed with the information from Sans as well as the confidence of her newest friend, Muffet has prepared her gift to both her kind friend as well as the fragmented soul. Glancing nervously at the clock, she opens her doors to the public before starting the day. It isn't long before her usual regular makes his way inside. The jacket teen doesn't need to say anything though as he walks up to the counter. A small smile forms on her lips, but when her customer raises an eyebrow she knows something is showing. If something is showing, then she needs to fix it. Vulnerability is defiantly not something she needs right now.

"Calm down Muffet," She sighs as the boy says that "You've made my order many times before. It can't be that hard." Whether that was a joke or not didn't really matter to her. It still brought out some laughter from her. A glance at the pleased smile on Daniel's face suggests that it was a joke. The effort managed to get some of the nervous tension out of her body. Frankly not a lot, but any help would be amazing at that point.

"I don't know, your tastes change so rapidly each time you visit." A little banter could help a bit more "I'm not sure what kind of outrageous order you're going to make." Her lips quirk upwards into a real smile when the teen starts to chuckle a little. Apparently anyone can be a comedian if they have the right crowd. Her body begins to relax a bit more, but at least her spine doesn't feel like it is made out of steel rod anymore. Deciding to take the rest of the relaxation process into her own hands, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose. Waiting a few moments, she then exhales out of her mouth before repeating it again. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through-

The sound of the door opening makes her pause "Oh, hey there Frisk." Her eyes snap open as her customer greets her friend "Fancy meeting you here." Slowly, she glances over at the entrance to her bakery. Sure enough, there stands a smiling Frisk closing the door behind them. The ability to breathe is quickly forgotten as the last moments she saw of the human flashes through her mind. Her resolution is fading fast as her fears build on top of one another. Could she really do this? What if she permanently damaged their relationship? What if they're only here to tell her that they've had enough of her? More negative possibilities nearly come to mind when she realizes something that quelled those ideas.

On the human's body is a familiar purple and blue hoodie that has an interchanging design of arachnids. The sight of it alone gets her body to relax and gets her mind to listen to reason. If they truly did hate her, then they wouldn't have come to the bakery in the first place. If the damage was permanent, then they could have shown that by getting rid of her present to them. If they really did want to tell her that they're through with her, then they wouldn't look happy to be in her place of business. She is being irrational, and that must stop now. No more doubts, no more worrying, now is the time to show that things can still work. As if proving that, Frisk turned their head towards her at that moment.

The two of them locked eyes for a moment before a smile appeared on their lips. It is impossible to resist giving a relieved one in return. Feeling lighter than she has in days, the young monster waves happily at her friend. She won't back down from this now. No, she is determined to make things right.

She is determined to fix what she had done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's this chapter! It was oddly written, yes. However, because most of this was in the past for Muffet that had to happen. I didn't want to go into details about the other days coming up to Saturday, but they should be mentioned. So, that's what this chapter was about.
> 
> Something to note here: I, like many other writers, find pleasure in getting reviews. Now, I don't demand reviews in order to update, but I do find that getting feedback on my most recent chapters helps me continue.
> 
> My usual review count normally goes to five, but now it dropped to three. Again, not saying it is mandatory, but if you have criticism or just words of encouragement that would be lovely to hear. However, only do so if you want to- not that you feel that you must.
> 
> Other than that, I have a quick shout out to fareplays who had somehow read the entirety of this story in around one day before reviewing on almost all chapters. Thank you for your support and kindness! I kind of needed that.
> 
> Nothing else to say so, I'll see you guys later. Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	21. The Peace Offering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Thank you for the supportive reviews, , and such. It helped motivate me again. To be honest, I was running out of steam. Might still be running out, but I think I've got enough to continue at the moment.
> 
> If not, this has to come out sooner or later. hi
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Determination is such a fickle thing to monsters. It is the source of their power, but it is also a source of danger for monsterkind. While mankind has transformed the idea of having too much determination into being reckless, the monsters have been warned of the true meaning behind it. Those with extreme amounts of determination will have short amazing boosts of power allowing them to do nearly impossible feats. However, they will almost always melt down into an abomination devoid of any semblance of themselves. Some even accidentally fuse with others because the overly determined monsters melt on them.

The brief warning given to all child monsters echos in Muffet's head as she smiles at her friend. This strange sense of purpose, the energy coursing through her veins. Is this what those monsters of old felt before melting? If so, then she would have to admit that they must have felt all powerful before perishing. Although, she feels as if she's got the power in check. In a small moment of paranoia, she glances down at her arms to check. They don't seem to be melting into a pile of goop. Yet, how would one be able to tell until it truly happened? Best to just focus back on the task at hand.

"Well, as much as I would love to watch you two just stare at random things," Oh right, she has a customer right now "Or at each other longingly," Okay, what was that? "I'll just be going right now." She watches as Daniel starts to leave with a massive grin on his lips. As he passes Frisk, the older human pats them on the shoulder while giving them a thumbs up. Is he trying to encourage her friend to do something? Perhaps not, but the younger human's cheeks looks pretty red at the moment.

Not that hers are any better, she can practically feel her blood rushing towards her own head. Who says something like that, then just leaves!? There was not an ounce of tact in that interaction! Glancing over at Frisk, her eyes locks with theirs for a moment. The intensity of their stare forces her to look down towards the counter. To her embarrassment, her cheeks get even hotter when she breaks the stare. This is not going how she wanted it to. In fact, this is somehow turning out worse than she thought possible. Reality seems to love messing with her more than her own imagination does, and that already had a field day on her confidence.

Movement in the corner of her eyes catches her attention. Looking up from the fascinating view of the counter, the first thing that her mind focuses on is Frisk standing right across from her. They look rather cute with their cheeks dusted red like that. Actually, adorable would be closer to the correct description. They also look so handsome, beautiful, breathtaking, and- God, all of the blood in her being must be in her cheeks from how hot they feel. How has she not combusted into white hot flames yet? She's really starting to get off track now, time to bring her focus back on what needs to be done. Step one, casual conversation.

"I-I haven't seen you around here lately Frisk," Damn it, the monster's nervous stutter is back "Have you been busy?" Okay, one stutter incident isn't the end of the world. All she needs to do is calm down. This is her friend after all, nothing she hasn't handled before. Slowly, she feels her blush die down as she concentrates on calming thoughts. Alright, now just go through with the plan. Now feeling much more prepared, she focuses on Frisk. They're glancing down at their feet. That isn't a very good sign. Suppressing the frown that threatened to twist her lips downward, the spider monster tries to remember the last time she saw a sign of faltering from them.

Not surprisingly, she can't recall a single time "I've just been doing some work here and there," That sounds awfully vague coming from her normally straightforward friend "It took up more time than I thought it would." Now combine that with a weak smile and dim eyes. Oh Frisky, if you're going to try and hide something then you shouldn't do so with a master of deception. Now, how to make them admit what is troubling them without humiliating them. Once more she has to suppress the urge to non-humiliation thing is going to be a bit tougher considering how she normally does things, but they're worth the effort.

Simple way would be to subtly call them out on it "Really?" Wow, even their suspected nod is weaker than she thought it would be "What kept you so busy dearie?~" The playful tone may not have been the best choice. It's so sad to see the normally confident child go so pale. Also, she didn't know that their eyes could go that wide. Huh, that's a dazzling shade of emerald that their eyes have. Getting lost in those is quite the possibility. Better pretend to be checking the register to keep focus.

Listening carefully as she goes over to the register, the arachnid baker awaits their response "What kept me busy? Well, I was-" A few seconds pass as silence engulfs the bakery. This time she allows the frown to curl on her lips as confusion takes over her. That wasn't even a natural pause. They didn't trail off or make some noise to buy time. Their words just suddenly stopped. An unnatural chill goes through her as she feels something very wrong. Her body suddenly feels much weaker than a moment ago. It's become a herculean task just to stay standing where she is.

"Don't toy with them." The distorted voice explains the unnatural sensation she is experiencing very well "They only came back because they missed you, so stop making a game out this." A snarl almost comes from her throat, but she holds back. The idea that she'd make a game out of their problems may makes her sick, but the dark being doesn't know any better. Give it the benefit of the doubt for now. Besides, this could prove to be rather beneficial if she takes advantage of it now. She just needs to muster the strength to look up at the murderous entity. Of course, that takes much more energy than she would have liked to spend.

Still, Muffet does manage to look up to see Chara's image wrapped around Frisk "H-hello Chara," No shame in having the nervous stutter when talking to a known genocidal killer "J-Just the person I-I wanted t-to speak with." That snarl of disgust shouldn't be on her kind friend's expression. It's just as unnatural as the fragmented soul that is in control of their body. An intense wave of hatred nearly brings her to her knees. She can feel actual pain as her soul feels like it is going to shatter, but she holds on. Bringing her lower and middle hands down on the counter, she uses her arms to keep her standing in the presence of this monster.

"Who says I want to speak to you?" Alright, that's actually a pretty valid point there. There is no reason to try and force this thing into doing something it doesn't want to. However, this tormented soul resides in her closest friend. It affects them with its own emotions and wants. If it doesn't wish to even tolerate being near her, its influence could make Frisk feel the same way. So despite the ever growing pain that feels like her flesh is going to be ripped off her bones, the spider girl musters up every ounce of her will to keep herself looking into its crimson pupils. God, its stare alone feels like it'll crush her soul with killing intent.

"L-listen," The exertion that she's putting her body under is making her feel very light headed "I-I have a p-peace offering for y-you." This is worse than doing what Undyne does for her work outs. Only she would run twenty miles before finding multiple boulders to suplex into one giant pile of rubble as a warm-up. How is suplexing something even considered an exercise anyways? Isn't that just a wrestling move? Her mind and instinct roar in unison that Undyne's exercise habits aren't important at the moment. That's a bit of a first to have those two aspects of her agree so whole hearted on something.

Although, they're telling her that for different reasons "A peace offering?" Her mind wants her to just submit and go unconscious "What kind of peace offering do you think would help you?" Her instincts demand that she runs, fighting is simply not an option "What pathetic idea did you get that gave you hope for talking this out?" Oh, please don't get even closer. Stop leaning right in front of her face. Sweat rolls down her entire body as it is taking everything she has just to stay in this conversation. Her knees are already beginning to buckle as her body is giving out. The young girl knows that she doesn't have much time before her one opportunity goes away forever.

"I-I," Don't falter now, just spit out the words! "I-I made y-you," So close, so very close now "S-some c-chocolate c-cake." There is no more energy to keep this up. She collapses on her knees as the killing intent of the murderous being is pressuring her entire being. Never has she been so utterly frightened before. Never has she been so certain that she is going to die here and now. The sad thing is, whether they truly wanted to do it or not, it will technically be Frisk's hand ending her. Closing her eyes shut, Muffet waits for the inevitable to happen. At least with this amount of hatred, she won't feel the deathblow.

Any moment now she'll be finis- "Did you say Chocolate Cake?" That sounded like it came from directly next to her. Slowly opening her eyes, she looks over to the side of her to see the fragmented soul separate from Frisk's body. Its eyes are large in an child-like excitement that completely defies what they were doing to her moments ago. Whether she is numb from the experience she just weathered or from shock, she doesn't know. All she can do is merely nod slightly while watching the fragmented soul shyly look to the ground. What is going on? Is this some form of afterlife that is made to mess with her mind?

She watches the being twidle its thumbs for a few moments before glancing up again "May I," Somehow that shine in its eyes is almost as unnerving as it threatening her "Have some?" Well, at the very least the spider baker could say that the plan was a success. Again, she nods slowly then watches as a large smile grows on the murderous thing's lips that just screams joy. If this isn't mood whiplash, then she doesn't know what is. Regardless, making Chara wait probably isn't the best idea. Unfortunately, the pressure of immense killing intent has left her rather weakened for the moment.

Even with her entire being no longer feeling as dreadfully pressured, she finds that she can't push herself up from her crumpled position. Her arms just give out on her as the muscles strain just to move. A mixture of pain and annoyance comes from her lips in the form of an agonizing groan. The effort is just too much for her at the moment. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to think of a solution as she feels something pull her up from her upper right arm. Looking over in surprise, the sight of a very concerned Frisk engulfs her vision. She faintly feels them wrap her arm around their neck as they hold her body up.

Her mind reminds her that she should thank them for helping her, but at the moment her mouth is busy not trying to gape like an idiot. She was a bit enraptured in the wonderful sight of the human giving her their full attention. If she's not mistaken, the young baker could even see a hint of those attention grabbing emerald eyes. How has she never noticed them before? They're too eye catching not to be noticed! Even if her thoughts could have been functioning at the moment, her attention is, unfortunately, needed to see what is taking up a position on the left side of her body. She shouldn't have to look since there is only one other person here, but that would be a ridiculous notion.

Seriously, Chara helping them stand would be- "Not a word of this to the others." With widened eyes, she takes in the insane sight of a slightly blushing fragmented soul "I mean it!" That hiss didn't even seem threatening. It was more along the lines of cutely embarrassed. Some form of divine power must exist because miracles like this should not be possible. Certainly not two in a row either. With surprising care, she feels the two of them work in sync to take her into the kitchen where the peace offering lies. What little bit of tenseness that her body was able to muster disappears with the thought that the worst is now behind her. At least, she hopes that's true.

The day gifts her with another surprise as the support to her left body doesn't disappear at the sight of the cake on the wooden table in the center of the room. Will wonders never cease? A smile tugs on her lips at the amusing thought, but it became immediately apparent that there was an issue here. What may have been a purposeful design to prevent slowing down is now working against the arachnid monster. In order to keep herself from tripping over anything, she had kept her kitchen free of chairs, stools, or anything remotely like those things. She had her family to help her reach things on the higher shelves, why would she need anything like that?

As such, there is no place in the room to comfortably sit down on. Frowning, she looks around for anything that could work at the moment, but she already knows there is nothing. A sense of panic starts to grow as she glances at the dark being holding up half of her body. It looks rather annoyed by the delay to getting its treat. The chance of it growing fed-up of waiting with its want in sight is a high probability. Lord knows what the thing would do if its patience is whittled down to nothing. Chocolate cake is a ridiculous reason to die for, and that is not why she is going to be ended.

A whisper in her ear startles her. Barely managing to turn her head, the spider monster sees a single spider on her shoulder. Even in her drained state, she immediately is able to tell that it is Daryl. This little guy always was on the lookout for loose change from his hidden corner. He never failed to take up any scattered coins with practiced ease. Every cent helps after all! Though, what is he doing on her shoulder? She'd would be more at ease knowing that none of her family is in the line of fire should Chara lose it again. Yet, he whispers something in her ear again. Her eyes furrow as she thinks she heard him say 'the corner'.

What about the corner? Her eyes move slowly around the room to check on everything. Counter perfectly cleaned with a group of spiders on it, table has a single layer chocolate cake on it while more spiders are maneuvering a knife to cut it, a large mass of her family are weaving an extra thick web in the corner, and her pet is scurrying up to her with plates stacked on its head. So what did Daryl want her to see? It took a few more moments than it really should have before her exhausted mind fully registers what she saw. Snapping her eyes back to the web in the corner, a relieved smile grows on her lips.

She could always count on her family to help her in her time of need. Sure enough even more arachnids descend from the ceiling until there is only one clear path in the kitchen not covered by them. The two holding her up must have finally noticed the makeshift chair/bed that was in the corner since they started moving forward again. Amazingly, they both managed to step in perfect unison while keeping her body at the exact same height the entire time. Glancing over at the table as the three of them pass it, Muffet sees that there are three cake slices being prepared. The view passes by too quickly to see how her family would get the slices on the plates.

Resigned to having her curiosity peaked for the next two hours, she would have shrugged if she could move her shoulders any. Instead, she turns her gaze to the web that is before her. It isn't that big, barely bigger than herself really, but it looks extremely inviting. She stiffens up slightly when she feels an arm wrap around her waist from her right side. Her eyes trail over to Frisk as they slowly ducks under her upper arm, and as the arm slides off of them she can feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Really? She can't even get a break when she can barely move? Her body must really like to embarrass her, which in turn usually makes her blush even more.

It's just a vicious cycle of never ending self-imposed humiliation! Well, at least their arm feels nice around her waist. Almost instantly she screws her eyes shut as she mentally screams at herself. Needless to say, she remained very quiet as Frisk maneuvered her body around. Feeling Chara slowly removing its support from the other side of her body, she just lets both of them turn her around before lowering her onto the web. It may not be her own personal webbing composing the seat, but that doesn't matter to her. It was simply heavenly to feel like her body is mostly floating off the ground. A few cracks of her spine makes her wince as her back displays the intensity of pressure that she was subjected to.

Cracking open her lower right eye, the monster girl peeks out. Like expected, Chara had already made its way towards the chocolate treat offered to it. However, in a pleasant surprise, Frisk had stayed by her side as they crouch down on the balls of their feet. In all honesty, it doesn't look like it would be very comfortable for their legs. Mustering up what little strength she has left in her body, she scooches over slightly. The confusion on their face is clearly evident as they watch her. The urge to roll her eyes is almost too much to ignore. A wince is suppressed when a small surge of pain shoots from her wrist as she pats the web beside her.

Realization dawns on their face before a slight blush colors their expression. She smiles slightly as they get the message. After all, there wasn't any way to make that message more clear unless she shouted it out for them. Unlike before, the hesitation that they display is far from worrying. Rather, it is a bit endearing as well as plenty adorable. They could always refuse the offer should they choose to, she wouldn't hold it against them at all. However, the human continues to make her day better as they gently sit down at the edge of the web. Rolling her eyes playfully, Muffet lets them do what they want.

Everything is fine as long as they are comfortable. Soon enough, her darling pet comes over with two plates of chocolate cake on its head. How it managed to balance that on it head perfectly without smushing the slices flat is beyond her. Watching Frisk take their plate gratefully, her smile grows a bit more as she watches them take hers as well. Their kindness is very refreshing for her after days of worrying constantly about them. It lets her take a breath of relief as the human gently places her plate on her lap. Not wanting to make them worry now that everything is finally getting better, she forces herself to lean forward so she's sitting up.

Taking the fork on the plate in her middle right hand, she prepares to dig into the treat "Oh my god," Chara's tone of pure happiness makes her pause "This is so goddamn delicious!" It is hard to ignore the pride building up inside her at those words. It doesn't matter if she hates the being or not, praise is still praise. Nothing makes a baker happier than seeing their customers enjoying their wares. At the very least she can hear the fragmented soul's enjoyment, but where is it? Leaning forward a little more, the arachnid monster looks around for the dark being.

At first, she couldn't find it anywhere. The thing seemed to have just disappeared. However, the groans of contentment seem to counter that idea. In fact, if her hearing was correct, she would assume that it was somewhere in front of her. Focusing her four available eyes in front of her, she scans the ground for any sign of the murderous being. A scrap of green catches her attention as she locks onto it. Sure enough, on the floor is Chara. Muffet has to blink several times to make sure she is seeing this correctly, but once she is certain of it a large grin spreads from her lips.

The fragmented soul that had nearly crushed her under its immense hatred was now laying on its stomach as it slowly savored the cake offered to it. The once sharp eyes capable of piercing any mortal through with the crimson pupils have been rendered dull and soft. Its lips are no longer in a state of a thin line or smirk. Instead, a blissful smile has made its home on the thing's expression. Not even a hint of hatred permeates from Chara as it takes another bite out of the slice of cake it has. The sight alone is enough to convince the spider baker that there must be a heavenly being watching over her at the moment. How else would she had lived through that episode earlier before getting this?

So while her work isn't quite done yet, she uses her fork to take a piece of her own cake slice. She'll savor this moment of peace with her pained body and relieved mind. There will be time later for making sure the problem is set behind all three of them. Bringing up the small piece of cake up, Muffet gladly takes the bite into her mouth.

The chocolate is smooth and creamy with the cake itself being perfectly moist. Leaning back, she lets her own creation dazzle her taste buds for the moment. The rest could come later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! This chapter came surprisingly easy. I mean really easy. I got this done the day after the last chapter before noon hit. I started at eight thirty. Huh, I wonder why?
> 
> Anyways, like I stated above, I want to thank everyone for their support! Your reviews were very kind and supporting. Without them, I don't know where I would be. Probably bored out of my mind.
> 
> Like always please review, favorite, and follow if you want to. I force no one to do something that they don't want to do. How could I? Special subliminal messages in the chapter? I'm not smart enough to manage that.
> 
> I do have to go now, so see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	22. The Thoughts of the Injured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I don't know how people took the last chapter, but in a strange burst of positivity I will assume it was taken well.
> 
> Okay, positive burst is gone. It probably was taken lukewarm at the best. Oh well, at least I enjoy writing this.
> 
> Here we go.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

While the cake had proven to be quite delicious, which was given considering she made it, a problem was made quickly apparent. An increasingly familiar problem that is really starting to get one Muffet's nerves. The onslaught of intense concentrated hatred left her body too weak for her to work in the slightest. She would need some time to recover before she could even stand by herself. Why must progress seem to come at the cost of her abilities? It seems that the only way she can get anything done makes her unable to do basic things she should easily do. Running her business, baking, working the register, and now walking.

One by one, her skills seems to be being stripped from her. She didn't bothering to at least disguise her hatred of this as a frown marred her expression. This is suppose to be here place to work with, shape into the bakery that she dreamed of, and make her mark with. However, she's stuck in the kitchen as Frisk is manning the front. Apparently, there wasn't a need to at least explain the process to them. They've seen her work the front so many times that the skills were learned by observation. While the thought of them watching and examining their techniques closely is flattering, it also brings a blush to her face. She didn't notice them watching so intently.

Not wanting add embarrassment to the list of emotions she is feeling, the monster girl dutifully ignores that thought. Instead, she tried looking around at everything in her kitchen again. There wasn't really a reason to do this since she's already memorized where everything is, what should happen in baking from beginning to end, and how much of what goes where. Knowing every inch of an area can really suck the interest out of it. At least watching her family working in perfect sync is still awe-inspiring. Hundreds, if not thousands, of spiders working around the entire kitchen by using their unique talents to work machines as grand as mountains to them.

There really is no way to describe the pride she feels in her family at the moment. Their perseverance in trying times would give her the strength to try the same, but it becomes counter productive when they persevere to keep her sitting on the small web! She really should have known that they would be far too stubborn to let her at least attempt to help. The amount of determination in their tasks is truly staggering. Although it wouldn't have been insurmountable if her friend hadn't sided with them. With the most determined person in existence on her family's side, it would be a complete waste of energy and time to even try to resist.

So here she is, sitting in the corner like a child who has been given a punishment. Huh, that's an interesting thought. The spider monster's eyes scan the room while her mind contemplates on the comparison. The point of a time-out is to punish a child when they did something they weren't suppose to right? How does it punish them? Simply by not letting them do whatever they want for a period of time. That time gets extended for each attempt to defy that punish as a way to further teach the child to accept punishments that they deserve. The frown on her lips deepens as her eyes furrow. Attempting to get up would cause her body to get hurt further right?

So, in turn that would extend the time that she would have to stay in this corner, and she's in this corner because she stood before Chara's wrath. Is this suppose to symbolize something? Is the very fabric of the universe punishing her for going against the dark being? If that was the case, then she was simply not suppose to ever be in its way. In a way, that would mean she wasn't suppose to learn about the murderous thing since that started this chain of events. Going further into this line, that might suggest that her becoming Frisk's friend maybe shouldn't have happened. After all, her entire life after leaving the underground was possible because of their generosity.

A groan escapes the young monster's lips as she massages the temples of her head with her upper hands. At this rate, she's giving herself a monstrous headache. Her lips quirk up a bit as she recognizes the pun she made. Sans's humor seems to be rubbing off on her. That's good. If the short skeleton couldn't affect anyone with his puns, then the world would really be in trouble. Leaning back, she lets her body relax even when her mind continues to go off in every direction. If there is no need to focus on a task, why should she stifle any random thoughts? It could be amusing to witness her mind working on something completely unrelated to the matter at hand.

Her eyes wander the kitchen once more as she searches for something to spark her interest. While her sight does that, her thoughts continuing addressing the idea of universal punishement. One could consider universal punishment as the afterlife. The idea of eternally being punished in a purgatory of 'brimstone and fire' certainly isn't a pleasant thought, but what about another aspect of religion? The idea of a vengeful entity. Now, she hasn't exactly read through the holy books of any religion. She'll never claim to be an expert of any form of belief. However, it is impossible to not hear of some stories.

Like that one about the father being told to sacrifice his son to his god. The idea of testing one's faith by spilling a family member's blood seems very extreme to her. True, the man's deity intervened at the last moment, but it seems gruesome and unnecessary. Then there was the story of a man who got swallowed by a whale. She can't quite remember why it happened, but it had something to do with the man not listening to his god. So, because the person had their own free will the entity that gave them that free will punished them? That doesn't make much sense at all. However, she has to concede that she might be missing some crucial parts of the story.

Dragging her thoughts back to the main point of this thought, the spider girl reflects on the idea of being punished for her actions. What form of supreme power would be causing her strife because of her choices? Those who are mortal do that plenty enough. She's already had to deal with wannabe thugs who thought she was an easy target, an unknown assailant that assaulted her because of how she looks, and discrimination that stemmed from a war mankind started centuries ago. Not that she was alone in those violent acts, quite a few monsters have had worse than her. Yet, why would anyone tack on even more problems for her?

Is it some form a cosmic joke for an outsider to sadistically laugh at? If not, then could it really have been a long string of coincidences combined with spur of the moment choices? The young girl winces as a painful throb goes through her head. Existential thinking always seems to have the consequence of headaches. Really, she should take it as a warning to abandon that train of thought. Besides, she's suppose to be relaxing. Working herself up would just make things more problematic in the long run. A sigh passes her lips as she continues to scan the area around her. Nothing really is popping out at her yet. There's just spiders scurrying to and fro doing their work.

While still sweet of them, it proves to be rather boring for repeated showings. Not wanting to go back into an existential questioning of what her life has lead to, Muffet tries to recall some previous questions worth pondering. Avoiding any thought paths that would involve the time-space continuum, the first thing that her mind offered was about Chara. More specifically, her mind brings up the question of the thing's death once more. That is quickly tossed to the side with not even a smidge of mercy. That question forced her through half a week of depression, self-deprecation, and severely set back the progress she had with the dark being.

What else can she try to think about? Her mind shifts through information and questions that she's been storing up unconsciously recently. That croissant idea still is floating around somewhere in there, but there is no new additions to that plan worth thinking about. Briefly, the question of how many times Frisk has gone back in time makes its way to the forefront of her mind. That question was crushed with even less mercy than the last. Experience has taught the young monster that questions like those are only going to cause harm. If she must really know, she'll muster the courage to actually ask the question.

Until then she'll just try to think about something else. A sigh nearly escapes her as it becomes increasingly obvious that her mind is looping back to the soul scarring questions. Whether this is out of fear or just because her brain is trying to tell her to get them over with doesn't matter. They are currently unwanted, thus they are going to be brutally swat aside until she is in a better condition. Now if only she could get her mind on something else. Something interesting enough to keep her attention, but not threatening enough to brutally murder her self-worth.

"Hey Muffet?" Perhaps the earlier questioning of deities cursed her hearing, but she is certain she just heard a certain distorted voice "Where's the rest of the chocolate cake?" Nope, she's not imagining things. Slowly looking to her side, the spider baker nearly pierced her bottom lip through with her fangs as she confirms that Chara is indeed there. The dark being that murdered everyone _multiple times_ is standing in her kitchen without the only counter force that can stop it being readily available. To be honest, the only thing that lessens how horrible this could go is the fact that it just asked for more chocolate cake.

Now, it may be a psychopathic soul who was formerly bent on genocide, but the sheer fact that it was asking, not demanding, about chocolate cake greatly diminishes how threatened she feels. She could even venture to think that the fragmented soul looks kind of adorable with its hands behind its back while it rocks on its heels. However, logic would say to never mention that to it. If the thing cares even the slightest about how it is presented, telling it that it didn't look threatening would be asking for an example to show otherwise. Any sane person would not want to be that example. Even some insane people probably wouldn't want to be that example.

Blinking out of her shock, and thoughts, she can see the being's forehead beginning to get creases of annoyance "O-oh, that was put away dearie." Great, more crease lines are being formed "Compose yourself Chara, you could simply ask for more." Why, out of all things, did she just tell it to calm down and ask for something? The being probably never asks for anything! Doing her best to remain calm on the outside, the arachnid baker quickly plots out the best things to say to the blatant threat to her life. Outright praises would be too direct, subtlety is needed to not tip Chara off to-

"Okay," It's not even giving her enough time to think about what to do! "Can I have some more cake?" Oh god, it's going to kill her here. It's going to take a kitchen knife and start its rampage here. Everyone is going to die because of her poorly chosen words. Then Chara's going to take over Frisk again just to load back to this very moment to kill her again in a new way, and she'll never know if this was her first time dying to their hands or not. The entire process will just repeat, and repeat, and repeat until-

Hold on a second, "Did you," This is probably going to be the real trigger to the start of Chara's genocidal rampage, but an urge to confirm what she heard has taken over Muffet's mind "Just ask for more cake?" Never did she once consider that the sight of the fragmented soul looking confused would ever happen. However, the idea that it looked confused because of her question just shouldn't be possible. Her brain can barely function when it nods its head slowly at her as if she's the insane one. Well, excuse her for not knowing that manner was something this psychopathic entity has!

Briefly, she does recall the same being acting strangely polite when asking for cake earlier "S-sorry dearie." She supposes It shouldn't really be that surprising after the first time, but it just seems so out of place "Danielle, could you please come here?" As silent as she has ever been, Danielle soon comes into Muffet's line of sight by dangling on a strand of web. The spider before her was a bit of an oddity among the spider baker's family. Being a close-knit group, every spider of the underground easily could work together if needed, but Danielle was gifted with an even greater skill.

She was one of the few members of the family who could effectively manage and lead everyone. It was always a blessing to have this talented arachnid on board with the Bakery. She could be tasked with a number of different chores and the tiny spider wouldn't falter in the slightest. Making sure everyone is out of sight? Easily completed. Assigning certain members of the family in the most advantageous areas? Done before Muffet could get out of bed. Getting everyone into specific stations to cover the slack left by her injury? Danielle got the ovens pre-heated while everyone else was making the dough.

This tiny sibling has never failed her larger relative "Forgive me for the interruption but," The arachnid monster has to pause as her sibling voices its worries "Oh, no dearie! I'm fine. I can promise you that." A smile plays at her lips as Danielle lowers onto the tip of her nose "However, I need you to get some of the family together to get another slice of cake for our guest." Despite how simple the task sounds, it is still extremely important. If this fragmented soul isn't kept happy, who knows what it would do. As such, only this tiny being would be trusted for the job.

Sure enough, the spider scurries down the her sibling's body while several other family members break off from their groups. The monster girl watches as a battalion of arachnids form up behind their leader as she goes towards their goal. It was truly impressive to see a chain of command be built in a matter of seconds. Even more so that their chain seems to be working just as well as it would have been in an army. At times like this, Muffet is certain that her versatile family could accomplish anything she could with just as much ease. Perhaps even more ease considering the fact that her body could be hurt stopping her entire flow of progress.

Not them though, they could easily get a replacement as the injured spider rests "Your spiders work well together," Glancing over at her 'guest, she takes in its impressed look with pride "They always seemed to care about you too." Of course they did. They were all family! No matter what kind of disputes they have, they would always care for each other. It is a sad truth that not all families are like that, but she could say with certainty that hers was. Almost by habit, she discreetly examines the murderous being's expression. Something just seems a bit off about it.

No creases on its forehead, lips are in a perfectly straight line, and no wrinkles anywhere. At the very least, the fragmented soul doesn't seem angry. However, she could tell that from the fact she isn't being crushed under its killer intent. So, anger isn't what she is being bothered by. What else could it be? Her eyes trail down to check the rest of the thing's body for any subtle signs of suppressed emotion. Posture seems to be fine, muscles aren't tensed in any way, hands are casually open by its sides, and it's not even shifting from one leg to the other. She even checked down at Chara's feet, but they're flat against the ground.

There isn't even a sign of this thing feeling anything at all! Oddly, a feeling of anxiousness builds up inside her from that. While that is curious, the young baker ignores the obvious question as she rechecked everything again. Then rechecks her recheck. Yet, her analysis brings her the same result. No sign of anything. Resisting the frown tugging on her lips, her eyes glance up at the being's expression once more. A sensation of shock rolls through her being as she finds her proof of emotion. How she missed it is beyond her, but that distant look in Chara's eyes open up a plethora of possibilities.

However, she knows better than to just jump to conclusions on one piece of evidence alone. The first thing she needs to do is figure out what caused this strange sight. Logic would dictate that the last thing it experienced would spark this reaction. It was easy enough to think back around two minutes. Again a frown threatens to come to her lips as she thinks about the casual words that was spoken. With it being the prominent topic, Muffet would have to believe that the idea of a family created what she sees before her. Why would it though? Is it possible that the being is just remembering its family?

That would narrow down what it could be thinking of, but there are still numerous paths where its thoughts could travel. Are the memories fond ones? What if they are negative ones? Her eyes furrow slightly as she tosses that idea out. There was no sign of anger or frustration. Then could it be happy ones? Possibly, but very unlikely. There is no degree of an upward curve on its lips, and the crimson shine in Chara's eyes are gone. The red orbs are as dull as a ruby in the blackness of night. If it is neither happy or angry, then it is very possible that the being is feeling some form of sadness.

The thought alone is ludicrous. Yet, the evidence does point to that conclusion being very likely. However, the lack of any emotion displayed in the body would point to someone losing themselves in thought. Despite that, people unconscious display subtle twitches towards what they are feeling no matter what. The sheer lack of that is a bit worrying. It would suggest an entirely new possibilities. Could the fragmented soul be feeling nothing at all? Or could it be feeling such a conflicting mess of emotions that they cancel each other out? Really, the spider monster knows she shouldn't be analyzing this thing, but it's impossible not to.

The very fact that it is the greatest threat to everyone's life pulls her interest towards Chara. If there is any sign of discontent, then it could be devastating to everyone. Perhaps it is a self-imposed responsibility, but when it is in her presence she'll do what she can to prevent that outcome. In order to do that, she must understand the being more. However, her slip up from their last meeting makes the odds of the thing opening up to her very slim. Until some form of trust can be cemented, Muffet will have to use her observations to learn about it. It'll be guess work for the most part until she can prove her conclusions. However, it may just save everyone.

Also, it's impossible to deny that the way Chara brightens up when Danielle returns with the cake is kind of adorable. If she ignored the strange eyes, the knowledge that it murdered everyone already, and the unnatural presence that it has then the dark being seems very human. Well, that much is obvious. It once was human. That much was a solid fact that she was given when the two of them first met. That fact may also be one of her most valuable weapons. If it was human, then it must have human-like traits that can be exploited for a sense of how it is feeling. At least she has a way to gauge its possible emotions.

It's only a start, but for the moment Muffet will use it as well as she can. For now, she keeps her eyes on Chara for any sign of trouble. Of course, at the moment it only shows signs of pure bliss from her cake. Apparently she has two weapons at her disposal.

Her observations, and her ability to make mouth watering treats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for this chapter! I would like to thank everyone for your reviews on the last chapter. It really did help me. I would also like to apologise about the fact that this was basically the random thoughts of Muffet.
> 
> Any and all religious people, please do not hate me. Monsters have been stuck underground without access to any religion, so they wouldn't exactly understand the stories they have. I do not mean to offend anyone, I just wanted to show some thought processing from Muffet.
> 
> As usual, please review, p.m me, favorite, follow, and all that stuff if you wish to. I would love that.
> 
> With that said, I believe I need to go. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	23. Alone Time with Chara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I'm feeling a bit more pumped than usual. Let's do this! However, I would first like to re-thank Power Taco. Your name is funny, your review was fantastic, and your words meant alot to me.
> 
> Now, how to do this chapter...?
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to Undertale. Or Undertale Red.

Slice after slice, everything was gone. One cut after another, it disappeared. There just wasn't anything left. Chara simply refused to leave anything behind. It was less of a messy affair than she first thought as she watched the knife embedded itself into the soft substance before striking the harder surface underneath. The finesse that the fragmented soul wielded the kitchen utensil was equally as impressive as the damage it could make on its target. Only a few seconds after choosing one target, it would move onto the next in a methodical manner. In the back of her mind, she realized that the murderous being has had plenty of practice doing this.

How else do you explain an entire cake being eaten under ten minutes? The thing turned into a ravenous child when the treat was presented to it. She supposes that it could have been an act of kindness, but she'll admit that when it insisted to cut its own slices she felt like her life was going to be ended. Fortunately, that was not the case. Instead, she was treated to an unrivaled display of appreciation for her baking talents. In that way, the pride she felt in watching that brutal demolishing of the cake was a bit justified. The unnerved sense of fear still is far more prominent though. At least her guest looks like it's satisfied for the moment.

The young baker continued to keep an eye on Chara as it leaned against the oak table. Her eyes locked onto its as the thing glanced over towards her. The amount of gratitude in its eyes was enough for her eyes to subconsciously widen in surprise. She just gave it some chocolate cake! How much gratitude should someone get for that? A little bit of thanks is understandable if you gave the person it. A decent amount more should be considered if that person spent the time to bake it. However, looking like you owe someone your life? That is leaps and bounds too much gratitude. Really, it begs the question of how much does this thing love chocolate?

Yet, this could be a good opportunity to learn more. If this thing is really in that good of a mood, there is a good chance it will share some information about itself. Even if it won't speak of itself maybe it will talk about some other occurrences. This may be a golden opportunity. For a brief moment, the cautioning whisper returns in the back of her mind. Is it right to take advantage of how someone is feeling no matter what the reason may be? That question bring some hesitation along with it. She's made some progress with this dark being. Enough that, at the moment, she doesn't feel very threatened by its presence.

That alone is a fantastic improvement compared to the last time they were together in a room. However, that fact is made even more impressive due to Frisk not being in the room with them. Without the countering kindness to Chara's killing intent, she was lead to believe that it couldn't interact in social environments without the human. Never before has she been so pleasantly wrong. From the last half hour, she's seen the murderous creature show polite interactions, great restraint of its hatred, and all on a person that enraged it greatly. Perhaps there is some vestiges of morality inside it.

Which brings her back to her inner turmoil, does she take advantage of something that is finally showing some form of kindness? Does she use that reveal of good-nature as a tool to further her knowledge of what is plaguing her? How long she thought about it is unknown to her, but in the end she reaches a reluctant answer. No, she would not take advantage of that. It would be wrong of her to do such a thing. As much as the questions nag in the back of her mind, her conscious will bug her much more. The need for information simply does not outweigh the possible guilt that she could feel after. Plus, if she did it anyways and didn't feel guilty afterwards what kind of person would she be?

There is no doubt that she is manipulative at times, but where is the limit? There must be a line that should never be crossed. If there isn't, she could easily slip into a manipulation mania. Nothing would be sacred, everything would be seen only as a way to gain leverage on someone. That is not something she wants to become. Her eyes furrow slightly as she tries to push the thoughts away. This is only making her tense up. Attempting to shift gears, the monster girl tries to think of what else to talk about instead of the consequences of manipulation. If Chara's is willing to talk, then why waste the opportunity to just talk?

At any rate, it's better than doing nothing "So Chara," Well that just screamed awkward, she can do better than that "How have you been?" Okay, maybe she can't do better than that at the moment. With only two encounters with this thing, and one of them ending horribly, she doesn't have much to go on. The only things she is certain of is that it loves chocolate cake, it once was human, and it has murdered everyone in several different timelines. There really isn't enough to craft a masterful question that will lead their conversation on the path of discovery of each other.

Pausing for a moment, Muffet mentally concedes that she needs to interact with more people "As well as someone who has to use another person's body can be." There is literally no jumping off point for conversation in that answer. In fact, the only tangent that could be explored is the fact that it is a soul within another person's body. That would not be a wise path to go down. So, what's another topic that could be used? She doesn't want this opportunity to be wasted because all she could think of was about the weather.

"How are you hanging in there?" Looking up at Chara, the arachnid girl feels a bit surprised by the question. Another point to the being showing some actual care for something. Well, it could actually just be trying to make conversation at this point, but she's willing to have a little bit of faith in it. After all, Frisk has to have some reason to trust this thing not to slaughter her back here. If they don't then the only other possibility is that Chara separated from them without the human noticing. Frankly, that's a thought that she doesn't want to explore. She doesn't want to go into full blown paranoia.

"As well as I could be dearie." Really, the web is comfy enough, and she supposes that she could have gotten much worse "I'm glad that the prospect of chocolate cake calmed you down." Oh, the murderous creature can even blush? That's an interesting tidbit of information. Especially since the current form Chara has lacks any type of blood. Is it simply just trying to recreate what it would have actually felt? The distracting thought is pushed aside for the moment. She can analyze the small details later, there is a guest to entertain right now.

"How much did you enjoy that anyways?" It's surprising how a little bit of conversation is making her feel more comfortable around this force of destruction "You looked as if you've found water in the middle of a desert." A smile nearly curls onto the young girl's lips as the dark being's cheeks flush red. The implications of what that display of embarrassment could mean is pushed aside as she remains focused on just having some friendly conversation. A little bantering certainly couldn't hurt the two's 'relationship' in the slightest. Well, that is if this thing can give her a good challenge in the first place.

"Yeah, I must have looked like you when you're staring at Frisk." Now, she's certain that a blush has never risen to her cheeks that quickly before "You think no one would notice?" If she could, Muffet would smack that smug grin of its face! However, since she can't there is only one other alternative to this blatant lie. Whether it realizes this or not, Chara has already revealed its weakness to her. Yet, while the urge to unleash true torture onto this being is strong, she still has some restraint left. She can still give it a chance to correct itself. That would be the right thing to do.

A small smile quirks up on her lips "I'm sorry, but what delusion have you been witnessing?" Of course, its grin only widens "Perhaps staying contained within Frisk's body for so long has made you start to see things." Oh, that comment might have struck a small nerve since its smile fades a bit "Or maybe you've always been this way dearie?~" The situation seems to have switched now with her own lips curled up into her own smile. The murderous being shouldn't try to best a master of conversation. This queen of shifting dialog has had plenty of practice turning words against those who spoke them, and this fragmented soul shall be no different.

"You're right. I have always been this way," Somehow that was a bit too easy "I've always been able to tell when someone has fallen for another person." The urge to narrow her eyes at it is almost too strong to resist, but she manages to restrain it for the moment "It's a talent I developed to exploit the weakness of loss." Such a casual delivery of such a grim line. What might have been meant to be a bit embarrassing is now just a chilling line. One that continues to muddy her impression on her guest. Embarrassment was shown on Chara only a few minutes ago, but now it just revealed some of the cruelty within it. Perhaps it's more of a warning for her.

The prospect doesn't feel like an impossibility. Its really starting to irk Muffet that any progress she's made towards figuring out Chara is tossed to the side whenever it has a mood swing. At this point, it is either purposely trying to mess with her or its emotional state is far more volatile than she thought. As much as it grates on her nerves, she's honestly hoping it is the former rather than the later. Though if it is the latter, she would need to be constantly watching what she's doing around Frisk. She doesn't want to be responsible for the fragmented soul taking over in the middle of the day.

Maybe she should just let it lead the conversation they have. There would be less chance of messing things up that way. That whisper of doubt makes itself known as it warns of the troubles possible from that. If Chara truly wishes to mess with her, it could lead the conversation in a way that leaves her open to incrimination. In what way is anyone's guess, but that is a possibility. Also, if she leaves the entire conversational path up to it then how would she ever learn about the dark being itself? It has already made its point clear when it came to the information regarding its death. What if it doesn't want to share anything about itself?

True, she doesn't wish to push anything now, but what happens if they do form an unlikely bond? Will she be the only one sharing anything at all? That simply wouldn't do in the slightest. Friendship only comes from learning about one another and growing closer as companions. If they both don't get to know each other, then how could they call each other friends? The simple answer is that they couldn't. A frown nearly tugs on her lips at the thought, but she keeps her lips in a neutral line. No need to reveal how she is feeling about her thoughts to Chara. That might cause some unintended issues.

Focusing back onto the murderous being, she examines it once more. Casual stance, loose muscles, no sign of tension in the slightest, and those piercing crimson eyes leveled onto her. Oh wait, it seems to have a confused frown on its lips. Resisting that frown is getting much harder as more wonders reveal themselves. How on earth could it be confused? Is her silence confusing to it? Well, how else should a sane being respond to the underlying threat that was uttered? A sane being certainly wouldn't be laughing and smiling at the idea of slaughtering loved ones to mess with a person.

Unable to help herself, Muffet muses that a being like Chara probably isn't exactly sane. If anything, the fact that it does have the slightest sign of sanity is a miracle within itself. However, if the dark being only has enough sanity to recognize some of the atrocities it has committed as the horrid sins they were then maybe it doesn't realize what is wrong with what it spoke. The gears in her mind starts whirling to consider this theory of madness. It would line up with a lot of things that this murdering creature has done. From what she can remember, the fragmented soul didn't seem to consider the possibility of murdering everyone ever getting boring.

A common definition of insanity is basically doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. What if, during the multiple times that it went back in time the thing just killed the same people, but in different ways. By doing that, it could have believed something would have changed based on how it killed. However, the method of murder doesn't affect the overall effect that it would have. In other words, it killed the same people while hoping for a different result. Could that be a sign of the thing's deteriorating mind? That may explain some of the actions that she's noted.

The lack of understanding of its words may be considered evidence of this. With so much time rewinding just to kill, etiquette and tact could have been thrown out the window in favor of bloodlust. The rapidly spinning gears in her mind grind to a halt as she reassess that thought. Chara had shown plenty of etiquette when asking for some cake. It had been polite, patient, and grateful. Now that she actually thinks about it, the insanity idea wouldn't explain everything. If etiquette and tact was thrown out, wouldn't its ability to speak go too? After all, if it only killed then speech isn't needed at all. Though, it could have been taunting Frisk during that time.

Regardless, the insanity theory is pretty useless at this point. A small sigh escapes her lips as she stares back at the fragmented soul. The statement was probably just part of its twisted sense of humor. Not funny to her, but it probably thought that it should have been funny. Oh well, it'll have to learn that not everyone shares that thought. A small rattling sound pulls her out of her mind consuming thoughts. Glancing to her side, her darling cupcake spider has a small plate balanced on its head with a steaming cup of tea on it. Her lips curl into a tired smile as she gratefully takes the plate and cup with her center and top left hands.

"Would you like some tea Chara?" It would be rather rude of her not to offer some to it "I have many blends that you may enjoy." Besides, it would be unlikely for the creature to actually want some tea. Yet, there was no immediate rejection. A glance over to it gives her another surprise for the day. It looks like it is actually considering the offer. Well, if it does accept she'll do her best to provide a nice starting tea for it to enjoy.

"Do you have Golden Flower Tea?" Pausing in shifting the cup handle, her eyes furrow in thought. Golden Flower Tea? That is a interesting choice to make. True, it is more of a lighter tea than most others, but the taste of it has always been slightly contradicting. People have claimed that the blend of tea is slightly sweet, yet also slightly bitter. She herself has never actually tried it herself. However, she's certain that she has some in the upper cupboards. Since she has the tea, it would be far too rude of her to lie and decline the choice.

"Danielle dearie?" Once more her trusted family manager dangles down in front of her nose "Can you get some of the others and make a cup of Golden Flower Tea?" With nary a word of confirmation, the small spider climbs back up her web. As her family goes to prepare the tea, Muffet reflects on this new information. Tea has always been known to be for its calming and healthy properties. Most use it as a method of unwinding after a stressful day. Others use it just as a way to help stay healthy. Yet, she can't say she's ever heard of someone drinking it in the middle of a slaughter.

Now she may be wrong, but isn't staying slightly tense and ready good for combat? Being completely relaxed would leave someone open for a killing blow. So, if her line of thought is right, why does this murderer know that specific brand of tea? Was it introduced to tea drinking before becoming a mass murdering soul of power? Some of the past may have just been opened up to her. Yet, the significance behind the information is lost to her. Once more, her lack of knowledge on this thing is making it hard to piece together the important conclusion. The only thing certain is that this being has more shades of personality rather than just 'murder, murder, kill, kill'.

In one way, the young baker is thankful for that. There might be a chance of helping it to a better path with that depth. However, another part of her isn't thankful at all. This will just make it harder to understand and predict what this thing could do. It makes Chara much more unpredictable than before. There is more to avoid and walk carefully around in the manner of conversations. Now, the question is which side of her will take control of this situation? Will she accept this challenge and try to keep this being calm? Or, will she grow frustrated and pass her small part of the responsibility onto Flowey, Frisk, and Sans?

Watching Chara gratefully take its fresh cup of tea, Muffet can't help but smile coyly. What's life without a little bit of a challenge?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is late. In fact, this chapter was suppose to come up two days ago while a different chapter comes up today. For that, I am deeply sorry. 44 days of constant uploading has been thrown to the side. I must start anew it seems, and I'm running out of ideas.
> 
> Despite that, I have received a few words of encouragement from some people. Each one of you know who you are! I thank you all for your support and understanding. I shall try to not let this fic die so soon. This could go on for quite some time!
> 
> Regardless, I have nothing more to say. I must leave you now. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	24. Bonding Time with Chara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will get this done damn it! In order to get to some level of regular scheduling, I have started this right after posting the last chapter. I will do this right!
> 
> Let's go!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Time can fly surprisingly quickly when a person is stuck with a mass murderer. Frankly, she expected the minutes to drag by in a long horrendous wait. Sort of like a slow march towards death. However, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the companion of a former psychopath wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. After getting past the initial terror and chilling comments, the two of them settled down into a comfortable rhythm. It was mainly drinking some relaxing tea, and chatting about whatever comes to mind. She didn't realize how tense she was until she finally drank her second cup of tea.

She could have sworn she heard her joints pop from the release of pressure she had put her body under. The mere force of her muscles had been exerting on her skeleton must have been immense for her entire spine to pop at the same time. The sound was loud enough that the entire kitchen paused for a moment. The intensity of her family's, and Chara's, stare nearly made her blush in embarrassment. Luckily, everyone quickly returned to what they were doing. Unfortunately, that left the fragmented soul free to tease her about being so worried around it. The best she could do to retaliate was threaten to never bake it anything again.

Surprisingly, though only a small bit at this point, the creature only let out a breath of annoyance while crossing its arms. The matter was dropped leaving the two back in a peaceful silence that only has the tiniest sliver of tension in it. As more time passes, the spider girl finds herself more amazed with the jabs she's taken at the creature. This thing turn her into dust just by being angry enough around her, yet she's becoming bolder with her taunts and threats. Her instincts keeps on warning her against it. The voice of doubt in her mind whispers the dangers of her actions. Yet, nothing bad has happened to her.

Against all odds, the dark being hasn't tried to attack her. It hasn't attempted to mess with her head in a deadly manner, and its killer intent hasn't spiked all that much. Their interactions went so much better than she ever considered. True, she did her best to avoid anything that could be considered touchy to the fragmented soul. Its past, its connection with Frisk, the murderous sprees it went on, possible hidden reasons behind said murderous runs. Those were all off limits. After all, there is no point in setting off a time-bomb of hatred with an offhanded comment. With those crossed off the list, there really wasn't much left to ask or talk about.

Or at least, that's what she thought. Turns out, the fragmented soul had some appreciations for some of the more delicate arts. The surprising choice of tea was merely the beginning of a interesting conversation. It didn't take long for the two of them to start talking about the intricacies of baking. What ingredients work the best, how to handle the dough, possible recipes that could be used, and even a small solution for the croissant issue. A simple butter spread on the top of the finished product. The new product would have to be baked immediately instead of ahead of time so the butter sauce would stay consistently melted, but that is doable.

The answer was so obvious that the spider baker nearly hit herself on the forehead at the simplicity of it. As thanks, she may or may not have given the dark being a bag filled with chocolate doughnuts. Of course, that hypothetical bag may have, hypothetically, been emptied by a ravenous Chara. This might have lead to another awestruck moment of incomprehension on her part. How can a being that has no body eat so much? In fact, where does the food go? The situation seems oddly similar to the thought process she was going through with Sans a few days ago. That may be the only way she can tie those two together in a non-negative light.

Beyond that, Muffet was engaged in a general conversation of what she could do to expand her menu even further. Muffins was an obvious one to go for, and honestly she has considered them before. The only reason she didn't in her bake sale was due to the lack of correct tins that she could for it. There were also a few possibilities for that product as well that could really help make an expansion. The option for those who are health conscious could range from oatmeal to blueberry to banana nut. There are also the obvious types that would be made. Chocolate was pretty much demanded in a strangely pleading way by her current idea helper.

Frankly, the arachnid monster was starting to think that the murderous being is a bit too dependant upon the delicious substance. Mentally, she made plans to speak to Frisk about that. However, at that moment she just nodded along with the idea before continuing down a list of possibilities. Another obvious one was Cookies, but she had some disagreements with the idea. The main reason being that every other self-proclaimed 'bakeries' had that on the menu. To her, it's a sign of uncreativity, an easy way out. Everyone loves cookies, so just make them and you'll be fine. That is not okay with her.

She wants her pride and joy to be known for more than just mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies. No, her bakery will be known for how good everything is instead of just one product. The other reasoning is that by the time some children come into her place of business to get one of those cookies, they'd most likely be cold and hard. She has to remind the fragmented soul that she does most of her baking before the place opens. On school days, that would be at least five hours before the children show up. That would be just disappointing to the little ones. So, her decision was firm. She would not be taking the easy way out of this.

It would take a few minutes before they continued talking once more. Muffet suspected that Chara was letting her cool down for some reason. That murdering thing had no real reason to fear anything she could do. After all, her strength is pretty ineffective compared to its. While tempted to think upon this strange act, she chose to skip it for a later time. She's drained herself of enough mental energy today. Though, it is a bit odd that she almost lost her cool just by the idea of baking cookies in her bakery. For the moment, she'll just chalk it up to being irritable due to exhaustion.

"Muffet, I'm closing up shop." Blinking in surprise, the young monster frowns in confusion as she looks to Danielle for confirmation. Sure enough, her persistent manager backed up Frisk's announcement. It's already closing time? It felt like opening time was a mere hour ago. It's strange how quickly time passed by. Apparently, Chara was good for some amusing and productive conversation. Well, that can be added to the list of pleasant surprises she's gotten today. That list just seems on getting longer as time goes on. Yet, that could probably be chalked up to actually learning about someone for the first time.

"Alright dearie," Today was suppose to be a half-day though, so there must be plenty of time left in the day "Thank you for your help!" Ignoring how Chara looks rather amused by how she raised her voice, it had to reach the human's ears up front, the most prominent question on her mind is what to do now? Though her family would argue rest, she's done that for almost half the day. Giving her body a old-fashion check through, the spider girl carefully curls her arms towards her body. Her muscles feel a tad bit sore, but nothing really major. Certainly not enough to prevent her from getting up now.

With her upper body cleared, she grabs onto the sides of the web she is sitting on. Taking in a breath before acting, she pushes off the cords of spider silk and onto her feet. That wasn't really the best idea. She quickly learned that was a bad idea when her legs nearly gave way. A combination of sore muscles and sitting in the same spot for the past couple of hours has made it hard to use her legs right away. The feeling of pins in her legs really should have warned her that they were asleep. Fortunately, the murderous being seemed to see this coming as it quickly caught her by her stomach.

What got her cheeks flushing in embarrassment though, is the fact she instinctively grabbed onto Chara. For someone who insists on being able to accomplish simple tasks by herself, the sheer fact she cannot stand by herself is humiliating. Berating herself for not thinking past the eagerness to get up, she quickly uses her free hands to brace herself against the oaken table. As soon as the palms of her hands are pressed against the smooth surface, she takes her other side of hands off of Chara in order to further support herself. For the next few moments Muffet just stares down at the table while she fights off her embarrassment.

Not even five seconds out of her resting spot, and she's blushing up a storm. Her eyes close shut as her lips curl downwards. If anyone ever hears about this, she'll be the source of entertainment for quite a few people. God, she can already hear the amused snickers coming from the numerous onlookers who goes to her bakery. Wow, her mind really has a knack for creating imaginative fabrications of her own humilia- Hold on a second, that sounds a bit too realistic. Cracking open her right eyes, she slowly glances over towards the fragmented soul. Oh, that thing is going to have a hard time getting her to bake anything for it for quite a while.

"You will not speak a word of this," That cheeky little being of hatred is now snickering harder at her "Or else I'll convince Frisk to go off chocolate for a month." That shut the thing up. An unfortunate side effect of shutting it up is the slight boost in killing intent she has to endure. It isn't enough to really harm her in anyway, but with her legs recovering their blood flow it only makes it harder to stand. Still, she will not back down on this. Her pride is on the line as well as the chances of Chara holding this above her head for quite some time to come. Being blackmailed by a being that delights in murder isn't exactly something she wants.

Unfortunately, the young girl has the nigh-impossible challenge of staring down the being that is tied for having the most determination in existence. Not exactly an easy task, or an remotely possible one really. Simply put, one of them would need to give up in order to win this. It is likely that the one with the less drive would quit first, so how does she win against someone who has a powerful enough drive to reverse time? Well, she can't. The only logical way to win is for someone with an equal amount of drive to Chara to back her up on this, but the only person capable of doing that is one of the people she doesn't want to know of this incident.

"Break it up you two," Of course, that doesn't stop said person from breaking up their stare down completely in the most casual way "There's no reason to have a stare down of destiny here." The mere words 'stare down of destiny' was enough to get her to look over at her friend. From the corner of her eyes, she can see the fragmented soul doing the same thing. What was that suppose to mean? What kind of destiny does Frisk think they have? If the mood during the confrontation was anything to take from, it would be a destiny of violence. Then again, taking the entire circumstance into mind, their destiny would be more inclined towards aggressive friendship.

Honestly, the arachnid baker would take the second one over the first. Any destiny where she gets to live longer sounds like a good option. Though, despite trying not to waste the mental energy, she can't help but imagine what their friendship would be like. At least, she tried to before giving up when she drew a blank. Not a very good sign when she can't even imagine any sort of relationship with the murderous thing. Oh well, she never really thought she would become companions with that thing anyways. Carefully, she takes a step forward towards Frisk while crossing her upper arms. Just for good measure, she raises her left eyes in a silent inquiry.

Needless to say, her friend was taken aback by this look "W-what?" The poor kid looked honestly confused "Did I say something wrong?" The possibility of her friend merely speaking without thinking does go through her mind. Everyone does that every once and awhile. However, Frisk is an extremely precise speaker who always has a reason behind what they say. Her inner voice of doubt whispers that they could have just gone back in time until they got the right word choice. If she could inwardly glare at the voice, she would in a heartbeat. Regardless of the possibly valid possibility presented, she doubts the human spoke that without meaning to.

Well, that is unless they spoke what was on their mind on accident, which would lead to another interesting thought. Why on earth would they consider that a stare down of destiny? Really, it sounds like something that would come out of that anime thing that Undyne talks about. An amused smile tugs on her lips at the thought. According to the former royal guard captain, that would mean there would be blinding flashes of lights around her and Chara. Possibly some transparent colored flames as well. Oh, and they would both be screaming. They would be screaming a lot. Although, she isn't certain why the two of them would be screaming.

Anime must be a strange thing, but it can't be that much stranger than reality right? After all, mankind was the ones to create anime. So, in extension, humanity must have had some form of inspiration to craft such bizarre worlds. That inspiration must have been something truly aweinspiring. A small bit of movement catches her attention as her four available eyes focus on Frisk. She must have been staring for a bit too long, they've started to shift around uncomfortably. My, does an intense stare unnerve them? Strange that out of all things a little bit of prolonged looking would do that.

"Are you done checking Frisk out?" Why must the young girl fight off a blush with every comment the fragmented soul makes? It's really starting to get old. However, she still has her wits about her. All she needs to do is pin the being down with her glare for a few moments before speaking to Frisk. That can be done simply enough. Yet, even the simplest of her plans seem to be going awry. Just as she was turning to pierce through the thing with her eyes, it decided to make a comment that just wouldn't be allowed.

"Or were you undressing them with your eyes?" Indignation flared harshly while her simple turn towards it turned into momentum. The momentum needed to smack that smug being right across the face. A sharp clap echos throughout the kitchen right as Muffet felt the sensation of flesh being rapidly compressed under the palm of her hand. Her unexpected blow had enough force to send Chara's head to the side. The first thing she felt was righteous satisfaction as well as a little rush of adrenaline. It felt surprisingly good to finally lash out at that prick.

However, that feeling quickly faded as she became more aware of the stinging sensation coming from her upper right hand. The slight bit of uncomfortable pain brought her mind into realization of what she just did. Her eyes widen as she almost steps back. Oh god, she just slapped the one thing that she was doing her best not to offend that day. She had basically attacked the single creature that has killed virtually everyone. In the midst of her regrets, she faintly feels her body beginning to tremble. Whether it was in horror or terror, it didn't matter. All she knows is that she should probably run or retreat behind Frisk.

No, she can't do that "N-never say t-that again," Even though her stutter makes her wince inwardly, she can't back down on this "I d-don't care i-if it's a-a j-joke or not," If she backs down on this, she'll always back down to this thing "Never again." It'll always be able to make her give in with a little flex of its muscle. So, despite the rational fear starting to take her over, the spider baker stands firm. That becomes much more difficult when she notices the growing red mark on Chara's cheek. Ignoring the small bit of pride shining through, she swallows her growing terror.

Slowly, the assaulted creature brings its hand up to the reddening cheek. From what little she can see, it seems to be in a bit of shock. Probably with good reason too. When was the last time someone actually managed to strike the murderous thing? Much less leave an actual mark on it. Her legs are threatening to give out once more from her growing anxiety, but she channels her will to steady herself. Wouldn't do much good to try and stand her ground only to fall onto her knees now would it? Still, she's certain that she wouldn't be able to keep her nerves for much longer.

Her eyes widen a bit further as she sees Chara's body beginning to shake. Is its outrage starting to show? The urge to at least take a step back is almost as overwhelming as the screeching desire to run. Quick to remind herself, Muffet knows that if she gave a single step it would turn into two. Two would quickly turn to three before it turned into thirty. The numbers of steps would climb rapidly if she gave way to her instincts. However, as the injured creatures shaking grows more violent her body trembled more. Her body tenses as it prepares for whatever may come her way.

Would it be a simple punch? Would the fragmented soul try to make her suffer? Okay, forget try. If it wants to, it would make her suffer. The thought alone makes this stand much more difficult, but something else bugs her about this. What the heck is Frisk doing!? Shouldn't they try to calm their counterpart down? Wasn't that they're self-imposed job? They didn't do that when Chara was practically assaulting her with its killer intent. They didn't move to at least pull the dangerous creature when it got angry at her question. Why isn't her friend doing anything to help? Surely they care about what would happen to her right?

Whether by fate or on purpose, her mind never went down a path of doubt. Instead, she was sharply startled by the feeling of a hand gently resting on her shoulder. She nearly turned to see who did that, but the need to keep an eye on her enemy was a bit stronger than that. Besides, the remains of her logic was quick to point out that only one other person was in her bakery. What was really odd is how comforting the hand's weight is to her nerves. There wasn't anything in particular that would make her feel safer from the action. She's still would be the first in the way of Chara's rampage, and nothing is distracting it from going on said rampage.

Yet, the spider girl's body slowly stopped shaking. Her fear slowly receded to a manageable amount. The sensation isn't fully gone, but only a foolish person would be fearless in this situation. Still, the sheer fact that a mere touch would have this effect on her rattles her mind. It's only a hand on her shoulder. Frisk's hand on her shoulder that is tightening its grip. Amazingly, that makes her more reassured. At the moment she can't figure out why it would, so she just chalks it up for her friend proving to be there with her. Proving that they would back her up when she is danger. Her mind may be projecting a bit into the future, but she'll take whatever helps her.

"You actually," The tension in her body skyrockets at Chara's monotone tone "Slapped me?" No anger, no rage, no nothing. Its voice remains neutral. That may be even more unnerving to her than outright rage. The lack of emotion leaves her without any way to analyze what the murderous creature may attempt. She's without any weapons, physical or psychological. Still, Frisk's hand tightens further giving her a small bit of hope. Maybe together she and her friend could subdue their enemy before it rampages.

That quickly is proven wrong as she completely freezes at Chara's unexpected reaction. Its body shakes more, it finally straightens up, and a strange noise reaches her ears. It isn't the nose she was expecting. The roar of anger or outrage she expected is replaced by the sound of joy. Staring wide eyed in shock, Muffet watches her possibly murderous guest laugh while cradling its red cheek. If the suddenly slack grip on her shoulder was evidence, she would assume that Frisk is just as confused as she is. Did she break the thing's fragile mind? Or has it really just lost it?

"Well, aren't you full of surprises Muffet!" The glee shining from its eyes is more than simply unsettling "All you've ever done in my runs are threaten to dispose of me," The large smile on its lips just isn't right "But in this run you've shown us a surge of Determination you never displayed before, a backbone that usually leaves you as I approach, and the audacity to actually strike me!" Yep, the fragmented soul has lost its mind. There isn't a single thing left up there that is rational. It must be salvaging the shards of thoughts it had. Despite everything, she can't help but feel a little bad for the thing. It never got to recover its fully sanity.

"I can't believe I ever thought to kill you," Oh yeah, regret over her alternate deaths is very comforting "When you're this amusing alive." If she was to base the fact she was still alive on that statement alone, that would suggest she's still around based on entertainment value. The concept doesn't cut her to the bone like the thought of Frisk using her like that did. Instead, it fills her with indignation once more. How dare this thing write her entire life as an excuse to amuse it? The thought to backhand the being is a wonderful one at the moment.

She may have tried too, if it wasn't for the fact that Frisk's hand dropped from her shoulder to grabbing her upper right hand. The warmth shared between the hands does wonders to relax her fried nerves. The intervals of momentary energetic conflicts to intense exhaustion is really starting to mess with her. Sleep may beckon her early tonight. However, there must still be quite some time in the day. The want to analyze the situation is thrown out the window. Her mind can't take anymore influxes of bizarre information and worrying contemplations. No, what she needs is a simple practice that she can do to calm everything, and there is only one thing that could do that.

"Frisk, Chara," Might as well include the two as well "Do you want to bake something with me?" As one final musing, Muffet wonders how quickly this will turn into a downward spiral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a bit strange at the end, but let's face it: Muffet's had a long day. She needs something like this to just keep herself together.
> 
> So, I'm back on schedule! For now at least, but that isn't something I need to linger on. No, I need to linger on the fact that I've been getting large reviews lately. Now, I don't discriminate between the smaller, simpler comments that I get in the reviews and the larger indepth ones I get about the entire story. However, it's nice to get a sudden influx of good opinions about this story! It makes me smile.
> 
> Also, it helps bring things to light. I would like to apologize for the fact that some paragraphs just seem to repeat earlier sentiments. My memory isn't always the best. Plus, I write this as I go! Whatever comes to my mind gets written down. Sometimes it also gets deleted then replaced with happier content.
> 
> Another good point being brought up is the fact that for a 'romance' story, there isn't that much romance. Night Kaminari, hope I spelled that right, brought up the possibility of a suspense tag instead of romance. That may be a better idea considering what Chara is doing to Muffet's mind at the moment.
> 
> Regardless, I want to thank everyone who even just read this story to this point. That was awesome of you.
> 
> I still need to go though! So, see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	25. Baking with Spiders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all of you lovely people! Yes, I'm talking to you. The vast majority of those who have read this story have been rather kind. Some have been helpful, others nice, and even more others have been supportive. I just want to thank all of those who have chosen to be that way. It honestly lets me continue this mess of tangled chapters.
> 
> Seriously, I don't know how this got this far. I suppose it doesn't matter, let's continue it further!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Baking is nothing new to Muffet. It has long become a second nature skill to her. Her vast knowledge of items that she could bake overtakes every other section of expertise she could have. Once she's in the kitchen, there is nothing on this planet that could possibly mess up her desired treat. Well, that's what she thought at least. The universe seems to want to challenge that claim with her two guests. Now, she knew that these two could be a handful in different ways. Frisk, for as much as a sweet caring person they are, tends to catch her attention by pure accident. The human never seems to know what it is doing to her. Strangely, that doesn't bother her.

Chara, on the other hand, seems to have made its life's goal to try and mess with her today. Its earlier actions have already done a massive toll on her patience and mental health. Yet, this is something that she never could have predicted. A ploy so dastardly and evil in an almost innocent sense that no mortal being could have seen it coming. Its cunning, its madness, its so off-putting that her attention was captured for a good five minutes of shock. Well, it was shock until she bursted out laughing. There is no way that the fragmented soul would be caught dead in a pink apron that says 'kiss the chef' in bedazzled beads.

At first, the spider baker was convinced that Frisk had somehow managed to force their counterpart into that specific apron. Why else would this former mass murderer choose that specific protective cloth? However, her intuition was defied when she noticed that the thing in question didn't look at all fazed by what it's wearing. Had it seriously chosen that apron? With no other evidence to suggest otherwise, her laughing fit was renewed. Her upper and bottom right hands had to keep her up as her other hands clutched her stomach. Oh, this is simply fantastic to her. The memory of her purchasing that faded a while ago.

If she could recall correctly, the young monster once bought it as a joke. Just something to amuse herself with when working on the messier of recipes. Now, she's never been more certain that she made the right purchase. After a day like today, she really needed that laugh. It lightened the weight on her mind while bringing some levity back to her soul. When she could finally breathe once more, she felt a little bit refreshed. Her mind kicked back in with the capacity for thoughts, but at this point she's decided to just let whatever happens, happen. Still, she just has to know.

"C-Chara, why did you choose that out of everything?" There was no way she could possibly suppress the giant grin on her face. No amount of facial control could keep the amusement from showing. Not that she wanted it to be hidden in the first place, but it was nice to just let everything come to the surface. Well, everything positive anyways. The more negative side of things is going to be buried until she can finally have a stable day.

"What's wrong with it?" The look of honest confusion that the fragmented soul has is nearly enough to send Muffet back into her fit "I thought it looked fine." Oh, god it's even looking down at what it's wearing to check if something is wrong. This is perfect, simply perfect. She can even hear Frisk barely holding back their snickering at the sight. Well, to the credit of the dark creature, it doesn't actually look bad. For some reason, pink and white strangely goes well with it. That is, as long as you don't notice the eyes. The black and red eyes are will probably always be demonic no matter what the thing wears.

"I don't see anything wrong," Chara must have picked up on the suppressed laughter, it glared at Muffet and her friend hard "Stop laughing at my choice!" The threatening factor really takes a nosedive when the murderous thing's apron sparkles in the light "I liked this okay!?" Is it really getting defensive over this? The arachnid monster's eyes widen as it lets out an humph while crossing its arms. It's even angling its head up slightly as if it's above this entire scenario. The dark being that succeeded to murder every single being in the underground, is acting like an insulted child. The sight is almost enough to question why she was scared of it in the first place.

However, she has to remind herself of the fragmented soul's killing intent. A little teasing is fine, but she doesn't want to truly anger it. Though, her body gave her a hard time when she was trying to focus on getting air into her lungs instead of laughing. Thankfully, she was able to calm down to a few reasonable giggles here and there by stumbling towards the closet where the aprons where. Shaking her head with amusement, her upper right hand grabs onto her dark purple apron while her center left hand grabs a regular white apron. Turning on her heel, the spider girl slips the apron over her head before tying it with her lower set of hands.

"Alright, we'll be making some muffins," As her lower hands tighten the knot, she tosses the extra apron to Frisk "Obviously, they're going to be chocolate." Glancing over at the source of that reason, her eyes take in the beaming smile on Chara's lips. If she hadn't already witnessed something stranger, she would have had her head checked again. The spider monster takes the bizarre look in her stride while going through the list of ingredients in her mind. A quick survey around the room shows that her family is scurrying into cupboards. Her smile grows a little more when Daryl rests on her shoulder. The poor little guy must be tired from the long day.

It can't be easy dragging away metal coins that are just as big as you are. Making her way to her fridge, Muffet side-steps the moving mass of arachnids carrying muffin tins to the table. She is forced to side-step another group that has the dry ingredients needed. Turning her gaze from that back to the fridge, her eyes furrow in slight annoyance when she sees some of her family braving the cold of the appliance to get the other ingredients. A huff of breath passes her lips while she crosses her upper arms as her middle hands rest on her hips. She may be injured, but she is not a fragile doll to put in a glass case! She can handle a little bit of baking.

That does include getting the ingredients so she can bake! Taking in a deep breath, she just walks up to her cooling appliance. Her eyes narrow slightly at the more foolish of the spiders that looked ready to open up the freezer door. Even in the orderly line of spiders her family is known for, there will always be a few idiotic stand-outs. Well, they could just be questionably brave. However, every arachnid knows that the cold is extremely deadly to them. So, she can't just let that slide. Uncrossing her upper left arm, she holds the hand out right in front of the freezer with her fingertips lightly pressed against the metal.

"Off the freezer," The few that are on the chilled surface stop in an instant, yet they don't move away "Now!" She will not tolerate them putting their lives at risk because her family thinks she's too hurt at the moment. Didn't she just stare down and slap a murderous being? If anything, that alone should prove that she's capable of doing this much herself. Plus, she has Frisk here to help her should something goes wrong. Her family trusts them more out of anyone else who comes to her quaint bakery. One by one, the foolhardy arachnids scurried to her hand before continuing down her body.

Honestly, she isn't an infant. Throwing open the freezer, she quickly reaches in and moves aside frozen ingredients in search for her goal. Where did she put it anyways? Behind the ice cream? No, that's not right. To the side of the frozen butter? Nope, that's the vanilla chips. Her body shivers as the cold air flowing from the freezer chills her skin. A growl nearly escapes her lips as she moves aside everything in her frozen container before a thought occurs to her. Looking to the freezer door, she sees two small shelves holding some of the more tiny ingredients and foods. Right on the bottom shelf is the chocolate chip package.

Of course it's there. This is already starting off wonderfully. Snatching the needed ingredient, Muffet quickly closes the door while shivering from the remaining chill she feels. She's quick to shake that off while returning to her two quests. As she suspected, the oak table already has everything needed on it ordered and neatly placed side-by-side. Though, as a habit, she checks the layout in front of her regardless. Flour, milk, eggs, salt, white and brown sug- Her mental check is quickly interrupted by someone ripping the chocolate chips out of her hand. Sighing, she didn't even look over to the perpetrator of this act. Instead she merely held her hand out.

"Give back the chocolate, or else there will be no baking." It took a few moments, but the package was given back. However, as the fingers of her middle left hands run over the package they slightly snag against a small hole. The throbbing from her wound is slowly starting to come back. Slowly, she looks over her shoulder to glare at the fragmented soul. What she did not expect is a sheepish Frisk munching on some of the chips with Chara. A slight pink dusted their cheeks as she stared at them in disbelief. Despite trying to stay rightfully angry, her mind still noted how adorable they looked like that.

This can be forgiven just this once. Of course, it's for the sake of finally starting to bake. Nothing else. No one can prove otherwise. Wait, how long has she been staring at Frisk? Why is Chara snickering like that? Salvage the situation now! Quickly acting, she walks over to the two without really thinking. Once in front of the two she reaches for the corner of Frisk's lips with her upper right hand and wipes away a streak of chocolate with her pointer finger. Both of them look surprised, the human more so than the fragmented soul, by her action. Frankly, she shares that feeling. Why, out of all things, did she do that?

"Try not to be so messy with your food dearie," God knows what compelled her to do so, but she brought her finger up to her lips "It's such a waste." With a small smile on her lips, her tongue darts out and licks up the chocolate residue on her finger. Why that was her course of action was completely beyond her. Yet, she can't quite deny that she enjoyed the reaction that it sparked. She never knew that a person's cheeks could actually turn the color of a rose. It's such an endearing look for her companion. Plus, the wide eyed look of the dark thing is extremely amusing.

Not wasting a moment, the spider monster starts back to the oak table as her actions catch up with her mind. Almost immediately, her cheeks were scorching hot in embarrassment. If this is what happens when she's too mentally drained to think about what's she is going to do, then she'll make sure to have plenty of rest from here on out. It would probably be best just to start the muffins. Of course, that would be easier said than done now. Her guests seem to be still stunned by her actions. While the expressions are entertaining to look at, being frozen doesn't exactly help her bake.

Oh well, she can start baking herself. Should they snap out of it soon, they can join her. It would be around a couple minutes later when she's finally joined by one of the two. She was finishing mixing up the dry ingredients thoroughly when a hand pats her on the back. Thankfully, her center and lower hands had a good grip on the bowl when she was startled. No one wants all this stuff to go everywhere. From the corner of her eyes she manages to see a white and pink combination of colors. Great, Chara recovered before Frisk did. Glancing over to get a better gauge of its mood, she was surprised to find the amused smile on its lips.

"What step are we on?" Not even going to mention what happened? God, she really can't get a good base on how this thing acts. Although, she can't really complain at the moment. Gesturing over to the wet ingredients, it immediately understands what to do. As her newly revived helper starts to do its part, the arachnid girl glances over her shoulder to see how the human's coming along. While they're still frozen in place, the rosy blush they have is slowly going down. Their cheeks look more pinkish than pure red. Her eyes narrow slightly in confusion as she notices some black spots going around Frisk's body.

What is her family doing now? Are they searching through her friend's pockets or something? If they are, she's going to give them the verbal beat-down of their lives. However, since Frisk is still out of it she returns to her work. She'll have to find out what those spiders were doing later. After checking the bowl in her hands as well as the mixed ingredients that Chara worked on, the two of them slowly combine their parts together. The murderous creature shows surprising restraint as it carefully pours its mixture into the main bowl. She can't help but admire its steady hand as she slowly stirs to keep one part of the dry ingredients from getting too much moisture.

It has taken her years to learn how to keep a steady hand while she makes her treats. Briefly, she wonders if her companion has spent just as long learning how to do the same, or are they just gifted with steady nerves? The latter makes sense given the lack of fear it displays. However, that fearlessness may just stem from simply being too powerful for mere mortals to really do something against it. Nerves have nothing to do with its confident nature. Filing away the question in her mind to possibly be asked later, her attention returns to the task at hand. Once the lumpy batter is completed, the two of them take turns filling up muffin cups with it.

It kind of turned into a competition to see who could get the closest to the perfect amount of batter in their cups. Needless to say, but the official baker won. Though, not as easily as she thought she would. Her helper seems to have good knowledge of how to actually bake. It seems its suggestions from earlier wasn't just random knowledge. This creature had to have once learned how to bake. That's backed up by how close it actually got to the mark. Only a tiny bit off, and that could possibly be from being a bit rusty at the craft. How interesting, a little bit more of her companion's past has been cemented. At least, she believes it has been.

She still doesn't actually know, but the temptation to ask is tossed to the side by her tired mind. Observations will be the limit of what she can do now, contemplation can come later. So, she instead just gave Chara some more chocolate chips as a consolation prize. It didn't seem to mind losing at all. While the fragmented soul enjoyed its prize, she checked the temperature of the oven. As expected, her family had set it to the perfect temperature making it simple enough to do this. However, as she went to retrieve some oven mitts her eyes notice some movement to her side. An amused smile tugs on her lips as she glances over to see Frisk standing beside her.

"S-sorry about that Muffet," Aw, they still have a bit of a blush coloring their cheeks "How far along are we?" Her smile turns into a smirk as she merely gestures behind her with her center left hand. Sure enough, when the human looks towards that direction they gain a bit of a sheepish look. Their blush even gets a bit brighter. This is really an adorable sight to see. It's simply impossible for her not to drink in the sight and just enjoy it. How odd that they manage to capture her complete attention in such a simple way though. Pushing the thought aside allows her mind to come up with an quick idea.

"You know, only those who helped can have some of the treats," Their eyes lock with hers as she masterfully transforms her amusement into false innocence "I guess Chara and I will have to eat them all." A cheer of glee comes from behind her from that statement. Her mind tunes that out though, there is more important things to examine. Like the slightly downcast expression her friend has. The small frown is such an unnatural sight that she can practically feel her heart-strings being tugged. Luckily, she has a way to brighten up that look. Her eyes remain trained on theirs as she reaches out blindly with her upper right hand.

"Fortunately for you," With the deft skills she has, Muffet pulls out the oven mitts she was going for from the cupboard beside Frisk "The muffins still need to be put in the oven." Dutifully ignoring the groan of disappointment coming from Chara, she holds out the mitts for her friend to use. Their transformation from disappointed to happy was a quick one, but something she'll rewind in her mind over and over again. There is just something about seeing them being cheered up that makes everything seem figuratively brighter. While the feeling is far from unpleasant, a nagging question of why comes from the back of her mind.

It seems that type of question is showing up much more as time goes on. This may be the only time today that she is thankful to be mentally drained. She's able to effortlessly toss that question to the dark recesses of her mind. The freedom of not overthinking things also allows her to just sit back and watch as Frisk does the one task assigned to them. The smile on their face, the joyful shine in their breathtaking eyes, and the ease of their movement reassures her that this wasn't a bad decision. No, if anything this was a good decision. Even if Chara starts to make demands to have more than its sanctuary can have.

An argument, playful on Frisk's side yet serious on Chara's, about how much work you do doesn't matter ensues. Things like work ethic and effort quickly gets debated between the two. When they both try to include her in this, she just rebukes the two by claiming to be the judge. She can't take a side until hearing every piece of evidence. So, with a smile on her face she enjoys the show. The two prime examples quickly became people they all knew. Specifically, Sans and Undyne. A giggle escapes her lips at the comparison. The skeleton couldn't be more different from the former royal guard captain.

Taking in a deep breath, the scent of melting chocolate invades her senses. Yes, this was a great decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little later than the norm, but it is complete! The full baking experience is here to enjoy. That does include: Less contemplating, more actions, more interactions, and some great moments. I hope they were great, but I'll take good if I have to.
> 
> As always, please comment, kudos and follow if you wish to. I do not force you to, and I will never force you to. I just want some honest opinions as well as good criticism.
> 
> It also came to my attention that most of you thought Muffet would die after slapping Chara. That would be the end of my story if I did that! Shame on you. Nah, I'm kidding. That was the point of that action, to make you think the worst.
> 
> For all of those that assumed that the worst was going to happen in this chapter, you people have no faith. How could baking turn bad? It's not like Muffet would give the fragmented soul a knife. I forgive you guys though. I like your guy's prediction.
> 
> I do have to go now! See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	26. A Visit to the Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have to apologize for not updating on the correct date. I decided, after a sudden flood of reviews all from unnamed quests making comments about the freakin' pairing of the story on Fanfiction, to take the weekend off to relax. I even added a warning section on the first chapter because of those *Insert word of your choosing*.
> 
> Also, Stardew Valley is really addicting.
> 
> It's like harvest moon, but with a crafting system. Yeah, I think that's the best way to put it. So relaxing.
> 
> Without further ado, let's start.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

If you were to tell Muffet that she would encounter a human seven months ago, she'd ask the person to buy something from her bake sale or leave. If you told her that she'd befriend that same human six months ago, you'd be escorted out by her family to Alphys to check your head. Then if you were to insist that she'd learn a greater truth behind the universe a month ago, her pet would be after you for wasting her time. However, if you were to tell her that a murderous being would be helping her in her kitchen to lessen her workload, the young girl would throw you out of her bakery herself.

Yet, for the past week Chara has been in the back honing its baking skills with her family as its guide. On the first day, she was certain that her injured head was affecting her sight, but Frisk was there to confirm their counterpart's aid. The second day was nearly as strange as the first with the thing happily greeting her with a wave while getting that ridiculous apron again. The consideration that she was going insane passed through her mind more than once. With the arrival of the third day, the sight wasn't as strange. By the fourth, she was just thankful for the help, and each day allowed her to get more used to the sight.

During this time, the fragmented soul was really proving itself in her kitchen. Its products weren't much different than her family's masterful work. Sometimes there was some that were slightly over or under baked forcing those to be tossed to the side. However, those were far and few inbetween. More often than not, it matched the quality that she insisted they have. That alone garnered some respect from the master baker. It wasn't often someone can keep up with her standards. In fact, the only other person she knows of that can was the former queen. Then again, the young girl has only had Toriel's pie.

That may have been heavenly, but she's only had it once. How can she be sure it wasn't a lucky try? She'd need to have more to make sure. For purely informative reasons of course. Regardless, she's found herself pleasantly surprised by her new helper's skills. It got to the point where she wondered if she should give the dark being a paycheck for helping out. Frisk may not accept such a thing, but Chara would probably take it. Yet, in order to do that she would technically have to give her friend the money to hold onto. Something tells her that the human would give a no as both of the two's answer. They're just like that.

However, the spider monster shouldn't be reflecting about the week behind her. She needs to be getting ready for her appointment. Today would mark the end of the two-week recovery period after her assault. The doctor would be determining whether or not these straps of medical gauze would be removed or not. She hopes that they can, she would love to have her complete depth perception back. Sure, she adjusted well enough to losing some of her eyesight, but that top eye still is her central focusing point for her vision. Without it, she's been lacking a great deal of her accuracy. God knows how embarrassing it is to miss her web's intended target by a large gap.

Not to mention hitting someone else entirely. Poor Daniel, he really didn't expect to be nailed in the face by her web the moment he stepped through the door. Fortunately, he just laughed it off as karma for running late that day. He still got a compensation of a couple of her new muffins. Those new choices in the menu have taken off far better than she thought they would. Especially since they were just a few different choices. Yet, the muffins have been doing the best so far. People have even given them a painfully obvious nickname. The wonderful Muffet Muffin. In a short time, it got to the point that one of her family members added the name in webbing.

Muffet's suspensions were between Daryl and Michael with some leaning towards the latter. He's a little more likely due to the fact that the former was supposed to be working at the time. A soft whisper in her ear pulls her attention to the present. Glancing onto her shoulder, she sees Danielle scurrying back down her upper left arm. The arachnid monster smiles a bit as she rests said arm on the counter to help her trusted manager. It seems even on her day off that spider doesn't stop working. Though she has a good point, the young monster should be getting ready instead of thinking about things.

Well, let's go through the mental checklist. She can feel the shoes on her feet. Her upper body feels snug with her specially tailored jacket on. That wool still feels like clouds are surrounding her body. So warm and cozy. Anyways, the keys are in the jacket's pockets along with some of her family. Really, she wants to tell them that the fact they insist on coming with her is a bit overkill. However, who can argue with a worried family? It took quite a bit of convincing just to keep the number of members coming with her small. A smile tugs on her lips as the thought of the spiders accompanying her being an elite squad of specially trained arachnids.

It'll be there job to freak out at every sign of something possibly being wrong. Yet, while that is a common skill, these chosen few do it far more effectively than others. They are surely the best for the job. Stifling some giggles behind her upper right hand, she forces her mind to get back to work. However, before she could fully do that the image of said family members with tiny army helmets comes to mind. Her laughter couldn't be suppressed for that vision. It was just so adorably hilarious to her. Of course, the outburst just confused her family. Several of them came down from the ceiling to check if she's alright.

After a few moments, the arachnid girl managed to wave the concerned relatives off her. Getting back on track, she looks downward at her precious pet. The poor thing is trying to get her to stay by gently biting down on the edge of her jacket. The whines coming from it is nearly heartbreaking to her, but she has to go get her wound checked out. Besides, it's not like she wants to leave her cupcake spider behind. She just needs something watching over the bakery while she's gone. Who knows what could happen in an afternoon? So, with her bottom left hand she takes the clothing out of its mouth before gently petting its head. Oh, it's nudging her hand.

"I know dearie," God, it's even trying to wrap its legs around her own leg "But I have to go." The special creature's whines only gets louder at that "Listen, I need you to guard our home." Kneeling down to its height, she looks her pet in the eyes. Behind the depths of sadness in its eyes, there is a glimmer of understanding that shines through. A small smile spreads on her lips as she pulls it close to her. What may be the strangest thing about her pet is how it feels. Despite looking like a finished cupcake, the surface of it actually feels fluffy and soft. She has always chalked that up to the fact that it does have fur. Very thin fur, but it still has it.

A honk outside forces her to pull away from her darling. It's whining nearly convinces her to just take it with her, but she manages to stay strong. After one last pat on its head, she stands back up. She quickly checks to make sure that the chosen few coming with her are in her coat's pockets before going to the door. The instant that the front door opened, cold air rushed into her home to take the place of the warmth. Her instinctual response was to huddle down into the wool lining the inside of her jacket. Unfortunately, her center hands have to be out in the cold for a little longer as she works to lock her home up. Only a few seconds out, and they feel almost frozen.

As soon as that is done, the young monster nearly runs to the dark red car waiting for her. The door is practically slammed behind her once she's inside. Oh, the glorious warmth. A sigh of comfort comes from her as she leans back into the leather she's sitting on. Her lower left hand brush against the smooth surface of the seat before bumping into something much rougher. A frown nearly pulls her lips downward until she remembers. Oh yeah, seatbelt. That needs to go on. Reaching over with her center left hand, she pulls the safety strap over her body while maneuvering her arms out of the way. In the end it doesn't matter, it still feels uncomfortable.

An unfortunate side-effect of having six hands is something always being wrong when safety procedures are in place. Whether her arm is angled uncomfortably, being pressed too tightly against another object, or just pinned underneath the safety device she's always feeling some form of discomfort. It's a price to pay in a mainly two-armed world. Even for monsters, there are few types that have multiple arms. The most common difference from having two arms is having no arms, and frankly that makes the two arm system usually work out for those people. A sigh escapes her throat as her lowest set of arms are tightly secured against the seat and her sides.

"Are you alright Muffet?" The concerned, yet loud, voice never fails to bring a smile to her lips "Is there anything I, the Great Papyrus, can do to make you more comfortable?" Ah, he still never fails to show concern about others. Tilting her head to the side, Muffet gives the tall skeleton a reassuring smile. It's strange really, but the tall skeleton was the only one available to help her. Given the monster's job as the face of Mettaton's personal agency, he's usually extremely busy. Talk shows, interviews, and tending to the star's needs are only some of the jobs he does. Of course, Sans does handle the more intense cut throat part of the business.

Yet, that doesn't mean that the younger of the skeleton brothers doesn't pull his weight. He has shown surprising adaptability in the public limelight. From comical to sincere, Papyrus has never failed to dazzle and wonder all those he has meeted. Some believe that his intense enthusiasm sets him apart from other agents. Others believe that his 'act' of unenlightenment of the world draws people in. However, those who really know the skinny skeleton can confirm that it's just the fact he is so nice to every single person. His unnaturally strong desire to help people, and the sheer light of kindness he radiates allows people to open up to him.

It is a rare, but extremely effective trait that is utilized to the fullest. The world of celebrities just wasn't prepared for this one-skeleton army of good will. He's effectively managed to get the most private and personal of information out of co-stars, directors, producers, and other agents by simply being an person to listen to their troubles. Although, it also kind of backfires because when something is too personal, you'd never manage to get the information from him. Other than that, Papyrus has been the secret weapon Mettaton needed to get straight to the top. Which only makes this free-time stranger.

"I'm fine Papyrus but," Would it be wrong of her to ask why he's helping her out? "How did you get this free time?" Well, too late to back out of it now. Besides, the kind monster has never held a grudge against anyone. His longest lasting negative emotion is annoyance over Sans's constant pun barrages, and even that doesn't last very long. Rumors say that if the barrage lasts too long, he'll give a few good-natured jokes in return. Sans regards those events as phenomenons that could have pun-ishable consequences should they ever be revealed. Many pained groans were sounded that day.

"Oh! Well, Mettaton had heard of the incident leading to your injury," No surprise there, it seems like the entire monster community had heard of it "And he was so disappointed in himself that he couldn't come to give his concerns," Also no surprise, Mettaton's rise to stardom has made him extremely busy "So, he personally made sure I was available in the chance that you needed help!" The gleam of joy in the skeleton's eye sockets is something wonderful to behold. Yet, Mettaton and Papyrus's gestures of kindness are what makes her blush slightly in embarrassment. They shouldn't have to take time out of their day to make sure they help her.

Still, Muffet does appreciate what they've done. She really did needed help getting to the doctors. After all, the weather has only been getting colder as the days pass. Sooner or later it'll get to the point where she can't even spend thirty minutes outside without feeling some form of hypothermia. Well, unless she makes an even thicker jacket and some special pants to go with it. Maybe some mittens too, but she's certain she doesn't have the wool to do such a thing. Nor does she have the time. Once she has the okay, she'll be working full days again in her bakery. Worried family or not, she can't slack on work for much longer.

"Thank you Papyrus," That would be something to focus on at a later time "I really appreciate your help." For now, she still needs to get the okay to work a full day. Okay, it didn't stop her from trying after she got her head patched up, and it probably won't this time either. It'll help ease her family's collective nerves to know that she has the official clearance. Glancing down at her pocket, her center left hand gently is placed within. With an open palm, she lets the few spiders who accompanied her to go over her skin for their comfort. For some reason it comforts them to be able to do that. It wouldn't be the first time she's wondered why.

It could possibly be just a reaffirming habit they have. To feel some part of her still warm and moving. Like some form of measure to check for any signs of something wrong. The idea helps her smile grow a bit larger. The spider clans have been taking care of each other for as long as any member can remember. This protective measure has extended between guardian and guards for many, many generations. It's amusing to hear people ask how it is to be the first 'monster-sized' arachnid, but it's even more amusing to see their reaction when she informs them she isn't the first. There has been many guardians before she was born.

The only reason these others haven't been documented is the fact that all who saw them was gifted with a swift demise. There has been few who have survived an encounter with those special few, and their tales have long since been considered insane. No historian has accepted those tales has truth, so those 'myths' weren't recorded in the annals of history. Though, the young monster isn't sure when that changed. She's only certain that it was some time in the past two centuries, but there is little documentation beyond that. Oh well, it doesn't really matter in this day and age.

The greatest threat against her family is humanity, and no amount of history can help her against that. All monsters are practically powerless against the strength of their souls. Even if all of monster kind were to gather the strength of their collective souls they would- No, this is not something that she wants to think about. Trying to distract herself, Muffet looks out the window to watch the world pass by. It all looked like a blur of mainly grey, orange, red, yellow, and brown. Grey for the concrete that lines the side of the road. Orange for the some of the building's colors. Red and yellow for the falling leaves that give a final dance to the ground.

Brown for the barren branches of the trees that would decorate the sidewalk with beautiful colors when spring comes around once more. Until the season of renewal comes, they shall remain husks of their former glory. At least they gave one last show of beauty in their final days. However, with those trees empty the impending winter is all more apparent. Should it snow, it will be a beautiful sight. A dazzling blanket of white that gives people a sense of purity and peace. To her, it will be a constant feeling of dread. With an even bigger temperature drop, she'll be unable to leave her bakery safely. The simple walk to the store could weaken her so much.

It's even possible that the young monster could die if she stays out long enough. Her smile tugs down into a frown as she continues to look out the window at the people being passed by. A spark of envy goes through her as she sees them fine in the cold. Their measly jackets will be enough to avoid any lasting effects. Humans are seem to be resilient to such a wide variety of things. Yet, their versatility is just another thing to them. They take it for granted just like the strength of their souls. It's nothing new to them, but to people like her it could be the difference between life and death. A sigh escapes her lips as she pushes the envy away.

She'll just have to pick up some more wool and dyes the next time she goes to the store. If she's going to make some winter clothing, she might as well design it specially as well. The blurred scenes outside the car gradually become more clear as the car slows to a halt. Glancing out to the front, she sees the red light that Papyrus stopped at before looking out her window again. It's not that bad of a sight to see some monsters openly mingling with mankind. She would even dare to say that some humans were thankful for some of the monsters out there. Vulkin seems to have a decent people following it. The walking volcano seems to be acting like a portable heater.

Not that it looked unhappy. In fact, the happy magma holder has joy shining in its eyes as it heats the people around it. Her smile comes back at the nice scene. It helps calm her mind when she sees those few in man and monsterkind that just don't care about the history between the two races. They just accept each other as what they are and go along with their day. There are even rarer types that go out of their way to befriend some of their kind's former enemies. People like Frisk or Papyrus who just wish to make others happy. Those are the people that the world ought to be full of.

A small laugh escapes her as she watches Vulkin's eyes turn into hearts from a young child hugging its side. Maybe there are more of those kind of people hidden out there somewhere. Perhaps they'll make themselves known to the world sooner or later.

That'll be the day that she'll wait for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done! I wrote above why this chapter is 'late', so I don't feel like rehashing it.
> 
> However, god forbid if everyone doesn't line up with what they want. The world as we know it will end horribly! Whatever, I don't want this subject bothering me right now.
> 
> Instead, tell me how you felt about this chapter! Please Comment, Kudos, follow, and/or favorite if you should wish to. I would love to hear your actual opinions.
> 
> Nothing else to say, so I'll see you guys later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back, and I'm ready to bring you another chapter of Spider's Parlor. Whether you want it or not. Hopefully you do though! So, I have no idea what people have been saying because I'm starting this right after the last chapter posted.
> 
> That's something to look forward to. Maybe.
> 
> Let's just start before I depress myself.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. hi

There is a common misplaced belief that all children need to be taken care of and guided through their early years. That does hold true for most, but for those who don't need that, it can be quite the hindrance. Especially when the woman at the counter, who is probably extremely sweet, insists on confirming everything with Papyrus. The poor skeleton doesn't even know the information needed! Only she does. Well, maybe Sans does because he was the one who got her to the medical center in the first place, but he's busy at the moment. At least, according to Papyrus, the shorter skeleton is suppose to be doing some paperwork.

"Now, when was Muffet injured?" Doing her best to suppress the irritated twitch of her left eyes, the spider baker takes in another deep breath as she waits "In what manner was she injured?" Oh, you know. She tripped and scraped her knee, and that's why her head is wrapped up. She suspects these are just commonly asked questions that needs to be asked, but it just makes the middle aged woman sound like an idiot. Sighing, she gestures for Papyrus to step back. Once the older monster does, she steps forward to take his place. Foreseeing a gentle, but firm, explanation that she's too young to get this, she raises her upper right hand to halt it.

"Dearie, I'm going to get this out of the way now," Her four available eyes stare directly into the secretary nurse's light blue orbs "I am Muffet, I came in two weeks ago from a head injury caused by a man striking the back of my head with brass knuckles," If she wasn't so annoyed, the effects of her bluntness might be rather amusing "I am back now to see if my injury is sufficiently healed enough to get these bandages off as well as to see if there is anything that they missed." Silence greeted them as the lady in front of her wisely decided to remain silent. Briefly, she wonders if she went a bit too far on getting things done.

Luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case as the nurse quickly taps in something to her computer before nodding to both of the monsters. Taking this as a sign to sit and wait, the arachnid girl leads her companion to the waiting area without delay. Resting her body on a puffy leather chair, a sigh escapes her lips as she relaxes. That could have gone a bit better. In hindsight, the woman was most likely just following the law or some sort of rule that the place has. Still, the nurse should recognize when the most likely person to know what happened is right in front of her. Not wanting to dwell on that for much longer, the spider girl glances over to her right.

Much like a child seeing a new area to explore for the first time, Papyrus seems to be filled with barely restrained energy. He can't seem to stop looking in every direction to absorb what's going on around him. The few instances that she manages to catch a glimpse of his eyes, the innocent sparkle of curiosity captivates her. Most people would think that by the time someone reaches the age that the skeleton is at, all vestiges of child-like innocence is gone. However, there is almost always those rare few that defy all expectations. It's a very endearing sight to take in, and so far it's also helping her relax a little more.

Such a simple, yet effective method to calm her nerves. A smile twitches onto her lips as she looks ahead of her. Oh, they have a Tv mounted on the wall? Must be for entertaining the more rowdy children. She muses that the electronic stimulation could work as an adequate distraction for the kids. That is, if they haven't seen what's playing or grow bored by the choices. That being said, the spider monster has to admit that the movie playing seems interesting enough. Though, she is missing quite a bit of context. Not her fault, the movie must have started before she got here. It does seem charming though.

At least it has a sense of humor to it. After all, how would a small cube-like robot manage to utilize a fire-extinguisher to maneuver through space? Despite Newton's law of equal reaction being perfectly displayed, it doesn't seem like the small, albeit cute, robot would be programed to know such things. Maybe this metallic creation has its own personality? That's an adorable idea. Her mind begins to wander in thought as she contemplates what kind of personality this machine could have. Given appearances, it could be the innocent and naive type. However, looks tend to be extremely misleading. She should know that better than-

A gentle poke already startles her out of her thoughts. Blinking in confusion, she glances over to her left to see a young red-headed boy poking at her arm. The child couldn't be any older than four, and given how his mother hasn't noticed him doing this yet he may have siblings. Curious as of why this child has decided to gain her attention, she fixes her four eyes onto him. His light blue eyes stares back into her own with a gentle light. Obviously, he is interested about something that involves her. The question is what? It would help if the boy would speak, but he could be a tad-bit shy.

"Why do you have arms here?" Muffet could only blink in confusion at that question "And here." The boy gently pokes her lower set of arms "And here." Her lips curl into a soft smile as she understands what the boy wants to know. He's simply curious why she looks different from anyone else he knew. The child must be at the age where it starts questioning things so he can better understand the world around him. It's an important age to satisfy his need to learn. Well, he is a future adult. Might as well answer his question before his head can be filled with prejudice and irrational hatred.

"I have arms there because I'm different," Carefully, she moves her lower left hand to reaches up and poke the child in the side "I'm a spider monster, so I have more arms." Her smile only grows as her new acquaintance bursts out into giggles as she continues to gently jab into his side. Ah, children can be so easy to amuse. Simply answer there many questions and give them some attention. They'll be content with just that. It's unfortunate that a lot of people lose the ability to be amazed by the simplicities in the world. Well, she's not one to talk. After all, she's talked people into a corner before just to entertain herself.

"Y-you're a monster?" That should be a given, but the child is very young "My brother says monsters are horrible things that should go back under the mountain." That gets rid of her smile quickly. Even at such a young age they're being filled with the fuel to hate unconditionally. Is there no limits to people's pettiness? Will they really just warp and mold the younger generation to doing the flaws of the older generation? Hatred is a strong thing, and hatred passed on in earlier years can be deeply embedded into a person's psyche. She'll have to give a little fighting chance for the accepting side in this child.

"Why would your brother say that?" The first step is to understand why the influence is acting like this. Knowing the correct angle to tackle the problem can make things so much easier to deal with. Though, she doubts the child would honestly know why his brother is saying those things. It's still worth a shot, but the chances of getting anything solid is very unlikely. In her mind, she quickly prepares dozens of possible counters to anything the child may have heard. Then she gets rid of the ones that would be too complicated for them to understand. Best keep things simple.

"I think it's because grandpa," Their grandfather? "He always says that when he talks about the monsters he battled in a battle a long time ago." Oh. Now this makes much more sense. A bitter war veteran doing his best to pass on his ideals to a new age. It would be wrong of the arachnid girl to assume that she knows why the man wishes to do that. It could be because he got injured in some way. Soul injuries tend to hurt for an extremely long period of time without some monster food to patch it up. If he got one during the war, then chances are it's still trying to heal. However, the old man could just be conflicted about the actions he has done.

PTSD is a common syndrome in any and all wartime survivors. Research has shown that those who managed to survive the battlefield would have multiple signs of reliving their past. Whether it be instances in the days where they go back into their survival instincts, or be an extremely vivid dreams at night, veterans usually relive the horrors multiple times. However, in a war where unique injuries were common, but lives were never taken on their side, there could be another side to the mental illness. In theory, this grandfather could be reliving his war days, but is watching as monsters are being cut down with ease.

It may be that the man is feeling guilty about what he has done. Yet, he has been told throughout his life that he did the right thing. So, how would these conflicting things manifest? It could possibly come forth in the form of the old man repeating the beliefs of his time over and over again in a futile attempt to reassure himself that he did the right thing. Although, it's only mental speculation in the spider baker's head at that point. Regardless of the reason, the veteran is passing on some negative ideals to the younger generation. She might as well try to balance things in this child's head.

"Well, do you know why that battle happened?" As expected, the little child shook his head no "It happened because," While it is tempting to say humanity, there undoubtedly were some monsters who wanted to strike mankind first "People focused on the differences between our people." The human seems to be paying attention, so that's a good start. Now, how to continue this while remaining neutral between the two sides? It isn't an easy task considering what she grew up learning.

"There was a lot of hurting that could have been avoided, but everyone couldn't get past the things that made people unique." A sad smile tugs on her lips as she sees the child tilt his head slightly. Who knows if this is getting through to it, but she has to at least try. If no one does, then this child could grow up to be like those teens that forced Heather into doing something she didn't want to do. The less of those kind of people in the world the better. Still, she has to remain child-friendly in her explanation. No talk of bloodshed, no talking of the loss of life, and certainly no talking about the innocents who got caught in the crossfire.

"Why wouldn't they?" The question almost catches her off guard. This small human just asked the most important question of all: why? It's a question that many has asked throughout history on every single war or fight that has occurred. Why did this side do that? Why did the other side answer in kind? Why couldn't it all be avoided in the first place? There are many reasons that were thrown around. Greed, anger, and revenge are the most common with revenge being the most for retaliation attacks. After all, isn't it an eye for an eye? Isn't it kill or be killed? Questions like those never fails to make her feel saddened about how history played out.

"I don't know child," All she can do is tell the simple truth "I honestly don't know." Does anyone know at this point? The causing forces of the war was supposedly irrational fear from humanity towards monsters. However, who's to say that the instigators didn't get something that they wanted by causing the war? Money, fame, power, and 'honor' are perceived as rewards of prevailing against the enemy. Even an enemy that stood no chance in the first place. Maybe even more considering the propaganda that must have been created to 'boost moral' back then. Paint the enemy as an abomination, and when they're dead it'll seem like more of an achievement.

"However, we can make sure it doesn't happen again." Muffet does her best to smile reassuringly at the younger child "If you remember to accept those who are different as themselves, you can help avoid more hurting." This is her generation. This is the generation that she'll have the most influence in, but alone it won't matter what she does. Yet, should she manage to guide others onto a better path then she'll have done some good in the world. At least, that's what she hopes she's doing. Her words could be going in one ear and out the other with this child.

"I'll remember," Well, at least he'll try to remember her words "I promise." Her smile grows larger at that. Maybe he'll try harder than she thought he would. To some, promises are worthless things to be thrown around for their needs. The worth of a promise continues to dwindle as more and more people break them. However, in the mind of a child, a promise is an ironclad contract. It isn't something to be broken as easily as it would be for an adult. Oh, the child may forget their promises from time to time, but when they remember they do what they said they would. So, there may be some hope for him afterall. God, she hopes there is.

"Matthew!" Well, that sounded like a concerned mother "Get away from that thing!" 'Thing' huh? Even if it wasn't a surprise to be called that, the spider monster can't help feel hurt by the title. She's a living being isn't she? She has a heart, soul, and free will doesn't she? She sighs in acceptance though as a woman with dark brown hair quickly takes the child from Muffet's side. Two other children stand beside the older woman's legs, one looking to be around the age of nine. The other seems to be barely older than Matthew. However, one thing that is concerning is the harsh glare the older sibling is sending at her. Her body shudders at the hateful intent.

"But mommy, she's really nice!" Despite the child's kindness is little more than a squirt gun trying to sooth a fierce forest fire, it still brings a small smile to the spider girl's lips. At least she got a chance to help one of them. The rest seem to be consumed by an older generation's mistakes. It's a shame. She has no doubt that each one of them could be very kind people to those that they deem worthy enough for it. Unfortunately, she just isn't one of those people. She's not even a person in their eyes.

"Matthew, stop saying nonsense or no treat tonight!" Her heart sank into a numb pit of sadness at that. Bribing the child to accept their point of view? It may not be as uncommon as people think, but it's almost like trading someone's free will away for free stuff. It's also extremely effective to those still going through the 'mine' phase. The child gets what they want as long as they conform to their parent's view. How does no one notice this manipulation from adults to children? Is it just accepted as a valid parenting tactic? God, there is so much to the surface world she just doesn't understand.

"She is though!" Both her and the brunette pauses at that. Clearly, the mother didn't expect her child to resist that move. To be fair, neither did Muffet. She hasn't seen a young child who resisted the lure of getting exactly what they want before. It brings another smile to her lips, she may have just influenced a child into thinking for themselves later down the line. She won't know for sure though since the mother quickly moved away to speak to her child more privately. Well, the woman has enough sense to realize that having that conversation in front of everyone would be a bad idea.

"Did something happen?" Oh, that's right. Papyrus was there with her. He must have been distracted by something or another. Maybe the movie. A glance over at the mounted tv screen shows that the cube-like robot seems to be injured. How and why did that happen? She should ask for the name of the movie later. Right now, her companion needs an answer. Although, what answer is there to give? She just gave a neutral view of a war long gone to a human child? No, there isn't any reason to inform him of that. He has enough on his mind every day with his job to concern himself with this small instant.

So, she just shook her head with a content smile on full display. Papyrus seems to accept it easily enough as he diverts his attention back to the screen. Following his example, she continues to watch the movie as well. Though she still is lost on what's happening, it proves difficult not to mentally cheer on the damaged robot as it holds up some form of platform. Injured or not, the mechanical being seems adamant to keep the platform up. It looks like quite the uphill struggle, but the robot looks to be prevailing. Briefly, she wonders if that could be some form of example of her kind. Hurt, but persevering regardless. The idea widens her smile.

Yes, it does seem like a grand example for the struggles of monsterkind. Perhaps even the struggles of mankind. It could even be an example of both of their struggles with each other. There still is a chance left. There is the possibility of a peaceful co-existence. This scene may not be supposed to represent that idea, but her mind seems to want to tailor it towards recent events.

Of course, that raises the question of what it means when the robot is crushed underneath the platform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done! With a reference to a fantastic movie too. See if you can quess it. You really should be able to, but I want to see you guys get it in one go!
> 
> On another note, I am glad that I got a sudden burst of inspiration for this chapter. I had only five hundred words this morning. Thank you brain, you've let me update on time.
> 
> Not much else to say... Thank you for reading. Please comment, kudos, and/or follow if you wish to. Please keep comments nice and criticism useful instead of opinions that are against certain things. Like the pairing. Especially the pairing.
> 
> Oh, someone mentioned that last chapter was the first actual appearance of Papyrus in this story! That's true! It took me over twenty chapters to implement one of the most likable characters in the entire Undertale cast. Go me!
> 
> Regardless, I have to get going. See you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	28. A Bad Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there are two paths that I could go for this chapter. One involving the Doctor, the other involving something at the Bakery. I don't know which way this is going. Welp, we'll just have to see.
> 
> On a side note: I'm glad so many people caught what the movie was from the last chapter! I love that movie. I don't even watch movies that often.
> 
> Shall we begin this descent into madness?
> 
> Oh, also Devil May Cry 4: I highly suggest the game. It's great. Dante is a bit tricker to use, but I like his alternating styles.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

A grimace makes its way onto the young monster's lips. Going so long without the use of her fifth eye has made it awkward to use it again. Through four eyes she can see everything crystal clear, but with her centering eye everything seems to blur. It seems keeping it covered for two weeks has made it a bit unreliable at the moment. Yet, the doctor insists that she has to keep it open for as long as she can. The fair skinned professional claims that if the spider girl continues to use her eye, it'll correct itself soon enough. No medicine, no special item, just good old-fashioned perseverance. Well, at least persevering is something she is good at.

The clashing visions did make things difficult for her though. More often than not, her steps are off their mark. She can't quite judge the distance between objects correctly, and she finds herself hitting her toe against things on the floor. It would have been so embarrassing if anyone other than Papyrus came with her. Now, she has no doubt that her companions would help and support her. It's just that she's also certain that they would have to hide some laughter while doing it. Not Papyrus though, his enthusiasm and encouragement was given without a single shred of laughter. His kind-hearted nature shown through fully as he guided her around the room.

Needless to say, she is extremely grateful that he came along with her. Though her eye was actually just a side-effect of the real issue that they came to check up on. Right before the gauze was taken off her skull, the doctor showed Muffet some x-rays of her head right after she was hurt two weeks ago. It was impossible to hide the painful wince that she gave when she saw the numerous fracture lines flowing from the origin point. Really, the origin point looked more like tiny fragments of bone sitting next to each other awkwardly. Some points of those bones angled towards her brain while some jutted outward.

Seeing this only made her feel more fortunate that she suffered no ill mental side effects. Frankly, no one was more surprised than she was to find that she only came out of it with a concussion. Even the doctor was baffled by that, but chalked it up to having enough luck to get the best out of a terrible situation. Besides, the human that did this to her is suffering far worse. Prison officials still don't know where all those brown recluse spiders are coming from. She could barely suppress a, probably maniacal, giggle while she was being told that the bandages may need to stay on longer.

Luckily, once the bandages was removed and some tests were taken, the spider girl was cleared for going home without those dreadful things. The only problems that remained was her own eye, and it wasn't even an intentional issue. All in all, the trip proved to be rather fruitful compared to what could have happened. She got to spend time with a good friend, took note of an interesting movie, hopefully taught a kid something about equality, and she's going home with no actual injuries. Things were pretty good. The only thing that did annoy Muffet was the fact that Mathew's mother was still trying to force her child to see things her way when they were leaving.

It seems traditions that are passed on, good or otherwise, are hard to shake when a person gets older. The sight made the arachnid girl sigh as she walks out the door, but her thoughts immediately shifts to how freakin' cold it is. To her body, it feels like she was dumped into the middle of the antarctic with only a t-shirt and shorts on. In merely a few moments, her body was shivering uncontrollably while she huddles into her jacket. Once more, she really regrets not having the foresight to make a simple hood for her special creation. If she doesn't create entirely new winter clothing, then that's her next project.

She also quickly finds a great appreciation for whoever invented the heater. That has proven to be a lifesaver at least once today. Maybe twice if she considers the race to get into the car earlier in the day. Nonetheless, she sighs pleasantly as her body warms up to an extremely comfortable temperature. Now if only her lower arms weren't pinned against the seats and her side. That would make the car ride even better. Oh well, beggers can't be choosers. Especially when she isn't anywhere near the age to learn how to drive. That'll be another three to four years before that happens. Even then, she'll have to find someone that will let her practice in their car.

With nothing else to do, the arachnid monster's eyes glance out the window. It's strange to see the already blurred scenes become even more unfocused in the center of her vision. Just how long will it take for her center eye to refocus itself? Two weeks of being bound certainly could take it's toll on it, but something is really off here. Should it really be taking this long? Her lips twitch downward as she squints a bit. Well, that did nothing. Still blurred in the center. In curiosity, she closes all of her eyes except for her top eye. Sure enough, it's so extremely cloudy that she can barely tell where each color is suppose to be.

She quickly reminds herself that she's looking at an already blurred image. Looking forward, the black mass of the dashboard immediately takes up most of her sight. Suppressing a growl of annoyance, she blinks a few times to attempt to focus her vision. Surprisingly, it works a bit. It's extremely hard to pick out, but there are a few lighter tones that separates a section of black from the rest. Carefully reaching out, her center left hand brushes against the lighter color. Her fingertips traces the area before going into a groove. Quickly recognizing it as the glovebox, her hand continues to trace it.

Alright, there is some improvement here. The spider girl shifts her focus to her own arm. Amidst the darker colors, the relatively lighter color of violet merges with its surroundings. Yet, it could still be seen as somewhat of a straight shape. It also made her think of how much of a shame it is that she didn't get creative with the design of her own jacket. There was so many possibilities with what she could have done! The spider motif is so underused as of late. Only some goth-types seem to use it. Maybe she could make some alterations later on, but only after her eye can actually focus.

Getting herself back on track, Muffet brings her center left hand back to her. Doing her best to examine the small details, she could barely see the shape of her nails. A mild bit of pain starts to come from her center eye as an after effect of trying to force it to focus. No doubt the effort is starting to strain it. A small sigh escapes her as she closes that eye as well. No good would come from straining her already weakened vision. Deciding to take a break, she lets the darkness take her sight for the moment. Her hearing takes in the interactions of objects around her.

Within the confines of the car, there isn't much to hear. The older monster had decided to forgo listening to the radio for one reason or another. Silence reigned for the moment with only small rebellions of sound here and there. The occasional need to shift gear creates a few semi-sharp thuds, shifting from gas to the brake pedals sends some more intense vibrations through her body as the vehicle slows down, and the melody of shifting winds rushing past the car nearly lulls her to sleep. The only reason she doesn't go to sleep is one small annoying noise. Some sort of blaring coming from the distance.

It's safe to assume that it's coming up from behind them with how it's getting louder. Well, they could be getting closer to it, but the young girl finds that unlikely. If she's hearing correctly, the sound might be a siren. Curiosity nags the back of her mind, but she forces it down in favor of resting. There's a lot to do once she gets back. Check on the bakery, make sure her family is fine, her pet would need to be fed as well. A little inventory check couldn't hurt any. After all, she doesn't want to run out of any ingredients. Especially after getting new products on the menu. Beyond that, she could take a look at her jacket and consider some redesi-

Okay, that siren is getting much louder. Loud enough that her eyelids scrunch up in displeasure. Although, she does wonder which house got burglarized this time around. Sadly, it isn't that uncommon for the wonderful community of monsters to be vandalized. Usually, it's just some spray paint, a meaningless threat that would never be followed, and maybe some rocks thrown. Nothing major, but certainly very annoying. However, every once and awhile there will be something serious that will truly violate both common sense as well as some laws. When that happens, the police will be called.

It is truly fortunate that the police remain true to their protective duties. So far, there has been no discrimination coming from those who enforce the law. They've done exactly what they would have done if the monsters were humans. It doesn't matter what race calls them into action, they do what needs to be done regardless. That is extremely fortunate considering the numerous tales of other cities giving priority to those with money or favorable positions. For the moment, any corruption that they may have isn't showing in the slightest. A smile comes to her lips as an old saying comes to mind. 'Justice is blind', there is no one side that is more important than the other.

Although, the deafening sirens are really starting to get on her nerves. A vibration shift catches her attention before her body is sharply moved to the left. Opening her eyes, she sees that Papyrus maneuvered the car off to the side to let a pair of police cars past. She watches the rushing cops go down the road before taking a sharp left. While that was a bit odd to see, at least the blaring noise is getting softer now. Settling back into her seat, the young monster prepares to close her eyes once more. Yet, something is starting to bug her. Something about those police cars.

They went left. What is it about that direction is bothering her? So, they went towards the safer part of the monster community. That place isn't completely free of crime. There's no place that is completely free of crime! As long as there is people who are desperate, or stupid, enough to resort to stealing, there will always be thieving. As long as there is a hatred against fellow man or monster, there will always be murder. These are just as much of a fact as death and taxes, so why is she getting worked up over a mere direction choice? Trying to shove the strange worry aside, she closes her eyes once more.

However, the darkness did not bring a sense of peace this time. No, the spider monster's mind took that opportunity to replay the cars turning over and over again. A small noise of annoyance comes from her throat as she tries to push it aside once more. Her attempt works for a few moments, but the vision of the cars comes back to her soon enough. In exasperation, she relents and watches the scene once more. Okay, the cars turned left! Nothing of great importance there. What even is to the left anyways? A few houses, the school, some businesses, a few convenience stores, a library-

Her eyes snap open as it registers. Some businesses. Her business and home is to the left! Her body goes stiff with tension as she sees the same turn that the police went down come up ahead. Oh god, what if something happened to her bakery? What if there is some insane bastard desperate enough to steal everything she has? What if there are armed robbers that already shot her precious pet? What if they're burning the place down!? Through tremendous amounts of willpower and some logic she manages to get her mind back on track. It is highly unlikely that anyone would burn the place down.

The building is made of brick after all. Burning it down would take much longer than a normal home. However, there are some possibilities with the other thoughts. Though, breaking into a bakery could be much more of a gamble than a house. With a residential home, the chances of at least having an electronic is rather high, but a bakery? The best a robber could hope is that the money is still in the building, or that they could carry out heavy equipment with no one noticing. Both are extremely unlikely, with the later being even more unlikely given the fact it's the middle of the day. So, her home is probably safe.

"Papyrus, could we hurry a bit?" Still, some confirmation would help her nerves much more than speculation. The young girl kind of sees the tall skeleton glance over at her in curiosity, but the car speeds up a bit regardless. Her bottom lip soon becomes the victim to her nervous gnawing as her mind flashes through possibilities. Stolen equipment, broken appliances, her pet hurt, and her family smashed. It's nearly impossible not to envision these things. They only get more horrifying as she is forced to wait for some relief. Luckily, It wouldn't be long before they finally make it back to the bakery.

However, what she sees makes her heart stop momentarily in horror. She's fairly certain that the car was still moving a bit when she swung the car door open, but that is not what's on her mind. Even the frigid air is ignored as the young baker runs to the police cars parked right in front of her bakery. One of the cars, drove away as she got to the front door. Through her blurred vision, she could briefly see a flash of blonde and black in the back of that car. Yet, she couldn't be certain. Her thoughts roared that it didn't matter as her mind forced her to remember her family and pet.

Shoving past a pair of protesting officers, she rushes into the building. In the back of her mind she can't help noticing that her front door was smashed off the hinges. Splinters of the wood decorate the floor along with quite of bit of fluffy white. Her eyes furrow in confusion before she just closes her center eye. With the blurry section of her vision gone, she takes in the sight of her velvet booths torn open. The stuffing within them was strung all along the ground. She follows the trail towards the front counter. A wince was barely restrained at the sight of the glass case that would show her baked treats smashed apart.

Taking a wide berth around the glistening shards of glass, Muffet hurries towards her kitchen to see the damage. At least, she would have. However, a large wall of webbing blocks her path. Seeing that allows her to breath a bit easier. Only her family could have woven that, and it was probably insulating the heat in the back. Yet, she still needs to make sure that everyone is okay. With a slight bit of hesitation, she jabs the fingers of her top set of hands into the thick mattress of webbing and forces it apart. A rush of heat goes past her as she created an opening. Frankly, it relieved her and it felt amazing. Her body was starting to feel like an icicle.

The tension in her body only melts away when she sees the kitchen basically full of moving black mobs of arachnids. While she won't be able to tell if they are all okay right at that moment, the sight does wonders to her worrying mind. A relieved smile forms on her lips as she carefully steps forward into the room. Her family clear a space for her to step into before she carefully kneels down. All six of her hands stretch out to the floor, allowing a multitude of her small family members to go up her arms. The tickling sensations of hundreds of legs climbing up her body calms the remaining part of her mind.

They're fine, they're alive. Nothing happened to them, and nothing will. Glancing around, she quickly notices that the oven was on with the door open. Well, that explains how they were able to combat the cold. Still, this incident brings up a plethora of new issues. None of them could stay here at the moment. With no door and plenty of damage done to the front, they couldn't even consider opening the bakery until it's repaired. Of course, the expenses of repairs would only be as worrying as how long they wouldn't be opened. So many problems, and not enough time to make a plan.

God, she's starting to feel tired just thinking about it. The young girl shakes her head, now is not the time to be worrying. Now is the time to just be thankful that everyone seems to be alright. Hold on, she's forgetting someone. A worried frown makes its home on her lips as she looks around for any sign of her darling pet. Where could it be? Her heart nearly starts to pound in her chest again when a soft whine catches her attention. Turning her gaze to the right, she takes in a relieving and concerning sight. Her precious pet is slowly coming to her, but it's limping badly. Very badly. Just from its walk alone, she'd venture to say that its front left, center right, and back left legs were injured.

"Oh, dearie," Only with the combined efforts of a good deal of spiders was the cupcake arachnid hybrid walking at all "Don't strain yourself. Just rest." Quickly getting back on her feet, she wraps her center arms around her pet's base while her lower arms take great care to support the bottom of it as gently as possible. While the weight did make it cumbersome to actually carry her pet, Muffet's concern greatly overrides that. However, her rising anger wasn't being ignored. Whoever had decided to break into her home best hope that she never finds out their identity. This atrocity is enough for her to show them what her own personal venom can do to a person.

For now, she just makes her way to the front once more. Taking care to avoid the glass shards, she sees Papyrus talking with the police officers with concern written on his face. He seems to be explaining to them that this is her bakery. She's certainly grateful for that, the less chatting with the police the better. No offense to them, but she wants to get her pet comfortable and her family situated somewhere before going over details. The thought brings up the most pressing issue of all. Glancing around at the disaster her bakery's front has become, she can't help but wonder.

Where is her family and her going to stay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone... What? No! It hasn't been over a week since I updated. I certainly didn't get side-tracked by spring break, and I'm positive I didn't get a new game to distract myself with...
> 
> I got it to entertain myself.
> 
> Welp, I have to apologise for the long delay. Every time there is a break or vacation, I seem to forget to write. It certainly doesn't help that Project X Zone 2 is a wonderful game to play. So, I'm sorry.
> 
> I'm certain that this chapter won't make up for it either. It ended on such a bleak spot. What exactly positive happened? Um...Muffet's bandages are off? Yay.
> 
> I'll try to get back in my rhythm again.
> 
> So, see you later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	29. New Stressful Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm trying my best to stay on top of things here. So, let's not waste any time!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Life seems to have a way of throwing problems into a person's face when they least need them. True, Muffet wasn't in the worst of positions when her bakery was broken into, but she hardly needed the extra trouble. Really, who _needs_ to have trouble anyways? There shouldn't be a person in existence that looks forward to getting some trouble. If there is, they need to get their head checked out. Regardless, there were several problems that now needed tackling. Her business wouldn't be up and running for several weeks. If she's lucky, it may take around a month. If lady luck is against her, it may take three months to get everything fixed up.

That leaves her and her family without a home, a way of getting income, and in serious trouble. She does have some insurance that she got for a contingency, so that may alleviate some worries. If not, she might have enough money saved up to get the place fixed up. However, she'll have to compensate with skipping some meals and greatly lowered heat in the bakery. Neither will be good for her health, and the later will be especially bad for her family. Then there is her pet's injuries. Glancing down at the cupcake spider that's resting on her lap, she can't help but frown.

Now that she has a closer look, her pet's hurt limbs look pretty bad. They're all bending in unnatural directions at the joint. It's font left leg is suddenly changing angles in no less than five separate places. That leg alone looks like it was stomped on while the other two look like they were bent in the opposite direction of what the joint is suppose to allow. Those brutes must have tortured her poor pet for one reason or another. If only she knew who did this. Then she could show them just what she could personally do to ruin their lives. She can feel her lips grow into a poisonous scowl. There's no doubt that her fangs can be seen.

A small whimper from the unique creature in her arms quickly changes the scowl into worried frown. The fact that she can only try to comfort her closest companion is torturing the arachnid baker. Yet, if that's all she can do, then she'll do her best. As gently as she can, she shushes the cupcake spider while stroking it's head with her nails. The dear always did enjoy how her sharp nails could scratch along itself, but the act seems pitiful at best when it doesn't even try to nudge her hand back. Still, she ignores the growing sorrow within her soul and continues along a certain path that her pet always enjoyed.

"Heya," What the hell just spoke!? "You alright?" Looking over to her left with widened eyes, she takes in Sans staring back with furrowed eyes "I just heard what happened from Pap." Well, if her heart wasn't pounding out of her chest, she might feel better! Her center right hand covers her heart by pure instinct as her breathing starts to steady from the scare. God damn it Sans, she needed some form of warning before he just pops up beside her. She could have had a heart attack! Unfortunately, her glare doesn't affect the shorter skeleton. He just seems to take it in his stride. The guy must be used to getting glares by now.

"Sans, dearie, you can't just come out of nowhere like that!" Perhaps a bit of scolding will get the point across "I just got done processing the fact that my bakery was broken into," At least, mostly processed "I don't need a heart attack!" Oh good, he's looking a bit guilty now. That seemed to get the point across rather well. She can't help but note the fact that he runs his hand over his skull while looking towards the steering wheel in front of him. Is that a nervous habit? Well, it looks like even the ever collected Sans has his own set of subconscious twitches. Okay, he might have just done that to seem regretful. If so, the show is appreciated.

"Heh, sorry about that." The tone coming from the comedic skeleton's voice suggests that he does regret his entrance "I was a bit hasty in coming straight here," Glancing over towards her, their eyes connect "But Frisk wanted me to make sure that you're still alright," Wait, Frisk already know about this? "The kid's worried for you." While the fact that the human is worried for her does spark some misplaced warmth, at the moment, inside her it leaves her wondering how fast word is spreading. This couldn't have happened more than twenty minutes ago. So, either news is spreading at a breakneck pace, or Sans was with Frisk when he got the news.

It's more likely to be the later, but that brings up some new questions. Why was the short skeleton with the human? It's true that it could have been a coincidence, but with the people that she's thinking about that is extremely unlikely. Why didn't Frisk come with Sans? It would have been really nice to have her friend be there to help comfort her. Or, at the very least, be there to make sure she doesn't do something stupid in rage. Why did Sans appear right next to her instead of somewhere near the bakery? It's almost as if he knew exactly where she'd be, and that's a creepy thought.

"They also wanted me to tell you that they're sorry they couldn't come with me," Well, at least one question could be answered here "But they had something they needed to take care of." How strangely cryptic. That's the kind of answer that gives the vaguest of reasoning without giving a single hint towards what the motive behind the action is. The very same kind of answer that can drive a person mad should they try to analyze it further. Luckily, she's a bit preoccupied at the moment to do such a thing. She still needs to figure out what she's going to do about her lodging issues.

"Okay, they didn't want me to tell you but," That certainly got her attention as she blinks her eyes to clear up some of the blurriness "The reason they didn't come with was so that they could convince Toriel to let you stay." Stay, with them? In their home? Now is not the time to blush! Do not heat up cheeks! Resist the natural impulse of embarrassment! This is a serious matter that needs to be fully addressed. Taking in a semi-shaky breath, she collects her thoughts to ask some critical questions. Even if it was Frisk's house, if these requirements can't be met then she must refuse. No matter how tempting it is to say yes.

"I would like to know how big her home is," Muffet's family must have space to thrive "How well heated it is kept," Any lower than a certain temperature and it would be dangerous for any arachnid, "If I will have my own room," That one is just an extra, she wouldn't mind sharing a room with someone else if needed "If my pet could stay with me," There is no way in hell she'll leave it now that it's injured "And how much the rent will be." It's also quite obvious that she'll have to provide some compensation for her stay. That's just how the world works. Patiently, she watches Sans mull the questions over. It's good that he's taking this seriously.

"Don't know," Or at least she thought he'd take it seriously "Don't know," Well, she can sense a pattern starting "Don't know," Maybe she should web his face to teach him a lesson "Don't know," Of course, he'll probably just teleport out of the way "And don't know." That'll just leave a mess on the inside of Papyrus's car, and the kind skeleton shouldn't suffer for his brother's sake. What is going on through Sans's head right now? These are serious questions. If he never had any idea, then he should have told her up front instead of just making a joke out of it. This is just in poor taste.

"Whoa, trying to turn me to dust with your glare?" No, but putting the fear of the afterlife into him is her goal at the moment "Alright, alright. The joke wasn't appreciated." The spider baker's glare lessens slightly when the short skeleton raises his hands in defence. Hopefully he'll start taking this seriously now. Turning her gaze from him back to her precious pet, she absentmindedly traces pleasant patterns on its head with her fingertips. At least there is a possible house to stay at. Although, it's curious why the human wouldn't want to tell her about them asking Toriel. She's extremely kind and caring, and the younger monster has no bad incidents with her.

So, why wouldn't Frisk tell the arachnid girl of their persuasion attempt? To keep her from getting any false hopes? That is a possibility. Nothing is more crushing than bringing up someone's hopes to the point that they're certain that something will happen, then crush it with a single word. Those scenarios usually leaves someone with a bout of depression. Some last for merely a few days, others last for years. It really does depend on the situation. However, she's more level headed than that. She knows that there will be instances where asking something from someone would be going way too far.

If asking someone to not only house themselves, their near-thousand family members, and their injured pet for possible months on end isn't that then what is? It's not like being denied would ruin the two's relationship. That'd be simply irrational. A confused sigh escapes Muffet's lips before she shakes her head slightly. If they wish to be sneaky about this, then they can. Right now, she should try looking for a backup location where she and her family could stay. Collecting her thoughts, she examines possible locations where she could stay. Well, the skeleton brothers are obviously out. They pretty much stay with Mettaton, and the robotic star is on the road often.

Toriel would have been her first choice, but with someone else already asking her the same thing it'd be best to move on to someone else. Humming slightly as she thinks, her eyes soon furrow. There isn't that many people she knows that would take her in during her crisis. She had heard rumors of the former king taking in troubled monsters and humans alike. Maybe he could aid her. Yet, the trouble with that is that she has no idea where he settled down. Still, asking around for his location doesn't seem like it'll be that hard, so file that idea away as a maybe. Should that fail as well, she could always take to a motel.

It wouldn't be an ideal solution, but at least it is a solution. Now for the other big issue. How can she keep up with her finances? Depending on the time it could take to get everything repaired, she could be out of any form of salary for months. Even with her being as stingy as possible, her savings could only last so long. If she has to take to a motel, then she'll need to find an part-time job in one way or another. Problem is, no one will hire a pre-teen in their kitchen, bakery, store, or anything else! She's technically too young to be even considered as a desperation hire. God, she can feel her body tensing up at the problem already. If she can't find a answer soon, she'll have-

"Hey, calm down!" Nearly jumping in surprise once more, the spider monster is reminded of Sans's presence "Look, I have no doubt that you're starting to overthink a problem or thought," How could he know that? He already knows how to teleport and apparently kill a genocidal being who-knows how many times over. At least, that's what she got from that after first meeting Chara. Can he also read minds? Is his teleportation connected to the fact he may be psychic?

"Your body is getting far too tense for you not to be doing that," Oh, well that's some solid yet boring reasoning "Listen, there are times in life where things happen that you can't do anything about," A small shiver goes up her spine as she witnesses the skeleton's pupils vanish "No matter how hard you try to prevent it." The single thing more terrifying than the fact that his eyes are currently endless voids of darkness, is the hollow tone his voice has. This is Sans, the laid-back joking guy that does his best to cheer up everyone. He shouldn't be like this. The sight makes it impossible not to wonder how long he has hidden this part of himself from everyone.

"So, you need to learn how to go with the flow," Back behind the mask again, the comedic skeleton's pupils returned again "There are things we just can't plan for, or situations we just didn't think would happen." There's no doubt in the young monster's mind that he's speaking from past experiences. What kind of past experiences? Well, she has a decent notion of what, but it's not her place to ask him about it. Should he wish to speak with someone about it, he will. It's very unlikely that she'll be the one he speaks to about it. Yet, she'll give him her full attention should it happen.

"For now, why don't we just kick back and wait for some news?" She just nods while putting the interaction in the back of her mind for the time being. There are other things she could be contemplating. Like, where could she get some help for her pet? While she treats the cupcake spider more like an animal, it is clearly more closely related to the bug kingdom. Any vet in the area may not be able to help it get better. So, what can she do? Try to align the broken bones then add a splint? She has no form of training when it comes to the medical field. There is a high chance of her just putting the bone in the wrong spot.

Her darling may never walk right again should that happen, but at least it would be able to walk. The only other option that she could think of is simply getting rid of the injured legs. Her pet wouldn't be in pain anymore, but how could it possible move with it's body off-center like that? It would have to basically drag itself around. The thought alone makes her sick to her stomach. The single being that has been with her for most of her life, had protected her in many of her times of need, reduced to a pitiful state? If there is even the slightest chance of avoid that, she'll take it. Regardless of the cost, her precious companion will be fine.

At least, that's what the young girl will aim for later on. For now, she's left with her thoughts as Papyrus continues to speak with the police officers. Glancing up, she can sort of see the taller skeleton still conversing with the upholders of the law. Huh, it has to have been nearly thirty minutes. What could they possibly still be talking about? Okay, it feels like it's been thirty minutes. Really, it could have only been around two. Regardless, he's taking much longer than she thought he would. Maybe she should go out there for a moment and help clear up anything that the kind monster doesn't know.

She nearly does go out, but the sudden sound of a ringtone playing grabs her attention. Partially because it suddenly playing caught her off guard, but mostly because it's oddly catchy. It doesn't sound like it'd be from this era of music. No, it sounds more akin to some old video game. Yet, despite the catchy musical pattern, it sends a shiver down her spine just like Sans did earlier. She could only describe it as energetic, fast paced, and strangely threatening. It was like threatening to kill someone at any costs, in song form. She didn't get a chance to fully experience the song though as it stops as the sound of an phone being flipped open can be heard.

"Heya, what's up?" Looking over curiously, Muffet spies the old-fashioned flip-phone in the short skeleton's hands "Oh, hey kid. How'd the talk go?" God, that thing looks like one of those old phones that someone couldn't break with a sledgehammer. Perhaps that isn't what she should be focused on, but she didn't even know that those things still existed. Rumors say you could throw it against a steel wall, dent the wall, and the phone would be fine. Truly, the most durable of cell phones. At least, compared to today's phones it is. There hasn't been a day in her bakery where she hasn't seen at least one cracked screen on a smartphone.

"Really? Alright then," She barely notices the short skeleton sparing a glance towards her before looking back at the steering wheel "Yeah, Muffet's here. In fact, she's right next to me." If she strained her ears, her hearing could kind of pick up on unintelligible words. While it is obvious who he is speaking to, she's more interested in what Frisk has to report. She does have questions that need to be answered before she could even hope that Toriel said yes. Watching the older monster nod only makes her more confused. Was that a sign that the former queen said yes? Was that a nod of acceptance that she said no? Was that just a random nod?

"Sure, I'll put her on." Really? That was just him nodding to himself that he'll put her on? God, the more time she spends around Sans, the more the arachnid baker wishes that she could understand his physical twitches better. So far, all she can tell is that when his eyes vanish he's either serious or he's reliving something. She can't even tell the differences between the two possibilities! Instinctively, her upper hands catch the grandfather of cell phones when her companion tossed it to her. Pushing the conundrum that is Sans aside in her mind, she steels her nerves for the worst. If you expect the worse, when it happens it won't hurt as much.

"Hello, this is M-Muffet." Her voice only trembles once before she hardens it once more under a calm mask. She stares forward, closing her eyes as she waits for the news. The news that may dictate how she'll live for the next couple of months.

Despite everything, she can't help but hope that it's good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stopping there! Aren't I a jerk? I would like to apologise on the shortness of this chapter, but it was kind of more along the lines of filler than plot related. Just some of Muffet's thoughts on the aftermath, and branching possibilities of how things could go.
> 
> I also have the honor of thanking everyone that commented. You really helped put my mind at ease with the update issue I had. I was told, by more than one person, that it was understandable to take the week as a break. I also got some useful Eye understanding from one! Thank you, I really needed that.
> 
> Among other things, I would also like to make another suggestion for a video game: Fire Emblem Fates. Either Birthrights, or Conquest. It only matters on how hard of a time you want. Birthrights is suppose to be significantly easier than Conquest. You have the chance to pace yourself, level up troops, gain resources, and ultimately prepare yourself at your leisure.
> 
> Conquest gives you its pace, and you stick with it. There is no possible chances to grind on random enemies, each encounter must be used to equally level people up, and your resources are limited. Good luck, and let your strategic mind take over for victory!
> 
> Now if only the translation was a bit better... the writing feels a bit strange compared to Awakening, but I managed to get past that. Still a great Fire Emblem game, no matter what side you take!
> 
> Before I go, I have a question that's been bothering me about Sans. When something is his, is the grammatically correct way to put it as "Sans's phone" or is it "Sans' phone?" I really would love it if someone could explain it to me.
> 
> Anyways, I have to go. See you guys later! Bye!
> 
> Extra: Also, as a little extra note, we've finally broken one hundred thousand words in the actual chapters! This is without the notes added to the number! Yeah!
> 
> ~DeathOneWings1203~


	30. Being Brought Up to Speed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back and ready to deliver some relief, or intense emotional grief. Depends on my mood really. No time to delay, so let's go!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

Who knew a car ride could be this level of awkward? The backseat of Papyrus's car was basically filled up with spiders. Then there were the ones on the floor, on the dashboard, on their laps, and even in the trunk. There was a reason that she had to get a limo to get her family out of the ruins. Still, being surrounded with her family members wasn't an uncomfortable thing to Muffet. Frankly, she was absolutely fine with it. Even if the sheer amount of arachnids reached her stomach as she was sitting. There are so many of them here that she's pretty worried for those on the bottom. Who knows how much pressure they are being put under right now?

Though, in the end there was nothing she could do about that. It was fortunate that Sans decided to meet them there via teleporting away as his brother returned to the car. It was a bit strange that Papyrus didn't seem to notice the fact that Sans was there. That observation alone brought up a plethora of questions, but none that related to the situation at hand. She had to push those questions aside to focus on a relevant problem. Admittedly, she knew that the total number of family members she has would be too many to reasonably put in the car. However, the kind hearted skeleton was equally as determined to leave no arachnid behind to perish in the cold.

So, he cranked up the heat in his car, opened the back door, and then just let all the spiders get in. Even though she knows the exact number of family members she has, the arachnid monster was in awe of the marching rows of her family moving from the bakery into the crimson car in an orderly fashion. The only thing that comes to mind for comparison would be an extremely large number of soldiers doing marching drills in the army. At first, she was a bit confused on how composed they were despite the near freezing temperature. That quickly changed when she spot Danielle scurrying up the seat to her shoulder. Of course, she organized them all.

Just add that to the number of astonishing accomplishments her trustworthy partner has done. Seriously, at this point the sky's the limit. Turned the entire family into a cohesive baking machine, managed every little extra task asked of her efficiently, plated acting leader to the family when her protector was gone, and now practically made them into a more organized group than the military forces. Just thinking about everything she's done brings musings of creating some sort of reward system to the spider baker's mind. She would have to figure out what would work as rewards though. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the back door slamming shut.

After being smothered in arachnids so Papyrus could just get into the driver's seat, everyone settled around where they were. It wasn't long until the car started rolling again, and with the older monster estimating that it would take around thirty minutes to get to their destination. Plenty of time to finally learn what happened. Glancing over at Danielle on her shoulder, Muffet reached across her body with her upper right hand. Without needing any explanation, her reliable second in-command got onto the palm of her hand. Bringing her family member in front of her, she took a moment to get a deep breath in before nodding to Danielle.

According to the young arachnid, the incident started around thirty minutes before Muffet got home. Everyone was scurrying to and fro, checking everything as a surprise for their protector when the front door shook. The front of the bakery went completely silent as the entirety of the spider family listened to make sure that it wasn't there imagination. Sure enough, a second impact shook the door once more. While it could have been a heavy gust of wind, Danielle just doesn't take those kinds of chances. She immediately had the majority of the family scatter into the shadows while keeping a few able bodies with her.

Of course, the first line of defense was making its way to the door with a vicious growl. The guarding pet of the bakery seemed ready to bite into any of the fools that was trying to make their way inside. Unfortunately, it didn't foresee the door being struck off it's hinges. While splinters were sent scattering across the floor, the cupcake spider was barely able to move mostly out of the way. A yelp of pain came from it as the metal knob managed to land onto its center right leg. With the weight of the door behind the landing, the leg was instantly broken. The pet was just lucky that the door bounced up after landing so it never stayed on its leg.

Beyond the sounds of whimpering came the infuriating noise of laughter. Multiple different sounds of laughter. While first instinct is to go to the aid of the unique pet Muffet has, Danielle quickly has her few spiders maneuver back so the attackers would be less likely to seem them. Though, the added advantage of having a better view outside the door wasn't a bad thing either. The sight that she saw was extremely troubling. From what she could tell, there were four of them coming in. Far too many to just go gung-ho on, especially since each one had a different tool in their hands.

The blonde boy in the front decided to bring in a baseball bat that he's resting on his shoulder. While it is a cliche weapon, only a fool wouldn't recognize that it became that way because it is effective in dealing some damage. A small bit of shine catches Danielle's attention, it may be even more effective than she thought if it's a metal bat. Far more durable than its wooden relative, it won't break nearly as easily. What's more worrying is the fact that the first thing in sight is the slightly limbing cupcake spider. Still, she can't act rashly here. Looking beyond the boy who kicked down the door, the leading arachnid examines a raven haired girl.

The woman seems to be enjoying the act of vandalism just as much as her companion did. It's hard not to be aware of the growing sense of fury in the shadows. The family was starting to be riled up, and that is something that needs to be avoided. Quickly, Danielle gives a sharp tug to the strand of web beside her. The quick surge of vibration along the webbings strung about the bakery reminds them all to keep to themselves. Focusing back on her targets, she carefully watches the first two walk in. The new angle alerted her to the two objects in the black haired lady's hands. Some silver rectangle, and what seems to be a can of hairspray?

An odd combination, but there has to be a reason for those two objects being put together. Now, she just needed to get a look at the other two. Yet, the spiders got a bit of a lucky break on that. When the leading assailant saw only an injured creature opposing his group, he waved off the extra two. The duo still outside looked a bit put out by that, but they relented. However, before returning to whatever vehicle the four used to get to the bakery, the red headed boy tossed something to the blonde male. Given the fact that it reflected some light in the air, all Danielle could figure out was that it was made of metal.

So, with two people to deal with, at least for now, and one injured pet there was little time to plan. Luckily, the leading spider already had some plans. Unfortunately, it would take some time. Using the webbing beside her again, she quickly sent out some orders via vibrations. Soon a good deal of vibrations came in return. Good, the others were moving fast. Some apprehension started to set in though as the boy with the metal bat toyed with the new object he just got. In one quick motion, he flicked it revealing the small item to be a pocket knife. Things just got worse. While it would be horrifying to watch, at least blunt impacts could be survived more easily than stab wounds.

There is no way that she was going to let Muffet return home to the corpse of her darling pet. With the other's busy, it was time for her to do some leg work herself. While she spun out a strand of web, Danielle watched as blonde bastard slowly made his way forward. A quick snap of the unique spider's jaws had him quickly retreating a few steps. Good, the boy's is wary of the guarding pet. Though, she had to admit as she quickly lowered herself down on a string of web that there was a good reason to be wary. Like any other spider, the cupcake hybrid had its own personal venom to use. However, since it has never bitten anyone, no one knows what it'll do.

"If you're not going to do it, then step back." The other girl pushed past her companion while flicking a cap off the silver rectangle " Aw, look at you," The snapping jaws of Muffet's precious pet doesn't deter the girl's mocking tone "You think you're tough. Yet, " A subtle movement of her thumb and a flame flickers above the device in her hand "I don't think you're fireproof." Pressing down on the nozzle of the hairspray, the chemicals pass through the flames before being ignited themselves. The blast of fire forces loud whimpers of fear from the arachnid hybrid as it stumbles to the left to avoid getting torched.

The urge to panic is extremely hard to ignore at this point. Danielle can see from her height that the creature is cornered between the wall and the booths. Forced to abandon her original plan, she quickly swung her web back and forth before severing the strand from herself. The momentum of the swing sent her through the air in an arch that happened to end on the back of the hand holding the flaming device. Despite being much smaller than the human, there was one thing that she could count on. The common reaction to an unknown creature landing on there body. Predictably enough, the dark haired girl shrieked in combination of surprise and terror.

Her hand immediately dropped the flaming rectangle while whipping her hand around. With no grip, Danielle found herself going through the air once more. Yet, her luck came through as she landed on the comfy cushions of one of the velvet booths. It took a moment for her to regain her bearings, but once she did the sight of the girl babbling incoherently with wild gestures greeted her. People could be so predictable sometimes. Taking the chance to look towards the door, she could see a large mass of some of the others efficiently weaving a large web. If that was going off without a hitch, then the remaining forces must be dealing with the extra duo outside.

It would be the darkening of the room that switches Danielle's attention back to what's going on in the room. Alarmed, she scurried back just in time to avoid a knife piercing her through. Instead, it stabbed into the velvet before being drawn back. Seeing the fluff underneath sparks some irritation within her. It took good money to get this kind of material, and these people are just going to tear it up? Displaying her skills as a variation of the jumping spider, she leap up onto the boy's face. He reared back instantly as he stumbled backwards. Whether it was from surprise or just being startled, it didn't matter. Her goal was to quickly start weaving her web.

When her target screamed, then she knew he was starting to be afraid. While that is all well and good, she wishes she could inject her venom into him. Unfortunately, her type of venom tends to completely paralyze people temporarily, and injecting it so close to the brain may not be the best idea. Instead, she just continued to spin her web to obscure the blonde bastard's eyesight. The effort nearly succeeded, but she had to jump off when a hand slammed into his skull. Landing on the back of one of the booths, she starts to scurry away as the woman stammers out an apology for hitting the man.

"Just shut up and torch the place!" Oh boy, he sounds angry "I want everything in here burned to the ground!" The leading spider might have made his rage snap when she was spinning her web. The only option at this point is to retrieve the flame device, but the woman is much closer to it than Danielle is. There's no way the spider would get there before the female human. Luckily, the cupcake spider did. Being none too pleased about being assaulted and nearly burned, it tried to sink its fangs into the woman as she reached for the device. Now, she showed some fear as she jumped back, but the roles of the two reversed as the blonde boy is apparently too angry to be afraid.

With a grunt of effort he lashed out with his right foot. The heel of his foot crunched down on its front left leg forcing out a howl of pain from the hybrid arachnid. Danielle was nearly prepared to order the entire family to swarm the boy just to wipe the sickeningly satisfied look on his face, but both her and him didn't count on the pet lashing back. While no one there knows if it was out of fear or rage, it quickly sunk its fangs through the cloth of the boy's jeans and into his flesh. A fresh scream of pain was ripped out of the human's throat as he jerked his leg away. With the segment of cloth ripped off, the soon bloody section where the flesh was torn off could be seen.

The metal baseball bat hit the floor as the injured human stumbled backwards in horror. Unfortunately for him, he stumbled back directly into a line of webbing that some of the other's had prepared ahead of time. Really, it was just an extra, off chance, preparation that was hastily made. However, it proved to be useful as the bleeding blonde tripped backwards over it before his head slammed into the glass display case. The sound of shattering glass was quickly overtaken by the boy's pained and enraged yell. He seemed to ignore the scattering glass shards as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

Expecting his rage to have gone to a whole new level, Danielle hurries back up to the ceiling. However, she didn't foresee what happened next. Instead of going straight after Muffet's pet, he started staggering around while roaring incomprehensibly. Odd, he shouldn't be affected by blood loss yet. Yet, his movements seem uncoordinated and random. With a frightening flourish, he brandished his knife once more before lurching forward. Startled, the woman quickly steps back as her passes by her. However, instead of attacking the injured pet, the blonde bastard went beyond it before burying the knife into the velvet of one of the other booths.

While the feeling of annoyance returns at the sight of fluff being sent everywhere, the leading spider felt more confused. Why on earth would this human be attacking the booths? It makes literally no sense. Normally, when a person is so enraged that they ignore reason, they go after the being that made them snap. It doesn't matter whether it is a monster or a human, that is the general understanding. So, why is he completely ignoring the limping cupcake spider? With nothing else she could do to help at the moment, she watches as the hybrid spider limps over to the man while he is switching to another booth.

Unfortunately, even in his state of lunacy, he noticed it and managed to kick it once more. The force of the kick sent it back into the front counter. With the impact shaking the surface, the cash register falls off and lands on it's back left leg forcing another loud howl from it. The piercing sound caught the blonde guy's attention as he finishes tearing up the seats. Turning sharply towards the sound, he holds the blade in front of him. Taking strangely careful steps forward, he swipes the blade in front of him. It's almost as if he's trying to ward something off.

"Stay back!" Wait, does he believe he is keeping something at bay? "Stay back or else I'll slice into you!" It would seem that way. Through, the limp he seems to have developed makes it hard to take him as frightening. It's more along the lines of being desperately terrified. It takes only a few more moments before a possibility comes to Danielle's mind. His limp, it's the leg that Muffet's pet bit. Could the answer to these strange reactions be that the venom that it has is an extremely fast acting hallucinogenic venom?

"Do you hear me!?" That would explain the past few minutes rather well "I'll kill you! I'll really do it!" He's hallucinating about something that is clearly terrifying him. Whatever that is, only he would know, but he can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy. That may have been the reason he didn't notice the baseball bat in front of his foot as he steps forward. She can only watch as the blonde human puts too much of his weight on the metallic object. With a new force acting on it, the bat spins underneath his feet making the man's balance incredibly unstable. Slipping backwards once more, this time his head slams into the much more durable polished oak table placed in the center of one of the booths.

His body instantly went limp, allowing the knife to slip from his hand and skip across the floor. For a few shocked moments. No one there could believe that just happened. Especially not the raven haired woman. With some tears in the corner of her eyes, she starts to step back towards the entrance. Her eyes flick back and forth as if scanning for anything. Her shuddering breath soon can be heard from up on the ceiling. Wrapping her arms around herself, her strides become larger. The girl seems to be on the verge of having a full on panic attack. It would have been pitiful, if she didn't break into their home and try to burn Muffet's pet.

While the desire to temporarily shatter the woman's mind is extremely tempting, Danielle didn't get the opportunity to do it. No, the sound of tires burning rubber against asphalt made her snap. As the roar of a vehicle rushing away from the scene was heard, her scream of despair pierced the air. In her frantic state of mind, the woman must not have noticed the large web in front of the entrance. She literally ran directly into it and it quickly encased her body. Her frantic struggling didn't help herself as it just made the webs more and more tangled around her. The lead spider quickly turned her attention to her comrade. The woman will be unable to move sooner or later.

Snapping the webbing around her in several variations, Danielle quickly gathers a reasonably large group of siblings before leading them down to the cupcake spider. Without needing an order, the large majority of the arachnids attached their webs onto the cash register. With their combined might, they managed to lift it off their ally's back left leg. The sight of the broken leg was not a pleasant one, but if there is a silver lining it's that the break in the leg is a single clean one. Though, the bone itself may be fractured horribly. There is no way to tell at this time. Fortunately, she can utilize the help of large mass of arachnids that are re-entering the building.

With more help, they manage to move the hybrid into Muffet's room. While they do that, the leading spider quickly sends several squads to find where each object is, trace around it with thick webbing, and then group them up in the back of the bakery. After that, they would need to get back to her. There was a lot of things to do now. For that moment, Danielle scurries out to the bound woman wondering how to make her tell the police to come to the bakery. It would be lovely to get her to arrest herself and her friend.

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, Muffet exhales shakily through her mouth. True, she's very upset over the fact her precious pet was hurt. Yet, she can't deny the fact that Danielle lead their family very successfully. With a bit of luck, no one got hurt. However, what makes her lips twitch up in a smile is the fact that the other two won't get away either. With some eye-witness accounts from Michael and Dwayne, some arachnids managed to stow away on the getaway vehicle. One of them being Daryl, and she knows he won't let her down. Focusing back on Danielle again, she opens her mouth to thank her.

Yet, the words never come. How can the one that is suppose to protect thank the person who was supposed to be protected for fending off a real threat? It feels like she's failed her job while her family flourished under the pressure. The realization brings a whole new mixture of pride and shame. Pride in her family's capability, and shame in her failure. However, logic soon kicked into gear. This wasn't something she could have predicted. The fact she was at the doctor's during this event was purely coincidental. If she was there, she probably could have dealt with them in one way or another. This simply isn't her fault. It was beyond her control.

"Thank you," So, it's as simple as that "Thank you all for protecting our home as well as you can." All she had to do was say it. Danielle merely scampered up onto her perch on the spider baker's shoulder once more. For now, everything is fine. With some time to spare before getting to Toriel's house, she tries to relax while glancing out the window. It's less blurred than it was when she got to her bakery. Yet, she still can't really make anything important out. The meaningless sight helps her reflect on what has happened as well as what may happen.

Soon, she'll have to talk to the former queen of the underground, but for now she can let everything go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I'll end it there. So, I haven't touched a fight or action scene in who knows how long. I might have reverted to earlier habits. If you see something off, a sentence that goes on for too long, or anything like that please tell me. I'll try to fix it when I can.
> 
> Also, I just thought people would like to know what happened in the bakery before Muffet got back. Ta-da? I do hope you guys enjoyed it. Nothing else to really say...
> 
> I'll see you guys later! Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	31. Talking To Toriel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I'm here. On time...like always. You have no proof otherwise. That date you see everywhere? It's wrong. It's really *Insert correct update date here*.
> 
> Switching to serious, I can't help but think uploading on April Fool's day with a non-joking chapter wasn't a very good idea. Oh well, nothing else I can do about it.
> 
> Let's just start.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Undertale.

No matter how the conversation was going to turn out, Muffet had no doubt that Toriel's home would still feel welcoming. Call it a hunch, but with such a kind hearted person like the former queen, the house that she made would have to be just as inviting. It is a welcomed feeling to have in this situation. It's hard to feel apprehensive about life when the spider girl walks up a neatly kept lawn to a wooden door that has a welcome mat in the shape of an determined soul. With fresh lines of stitching, it had the literal word 'Welcome' sewn into it. Even the front light was shining despite the fact that the sun just started to set in the distance.

Her friend's home was already drawing her in with a gentle warmth that is only matched by her family. Thankfully, Danielle was still on her shoulder or else she could have gotten weaker by the cold due to the distracted observations. A whisper in the young monster's ear refocused her attention. A shiver went down her spine as the cold started to seep through her jacket. Raising her upper right hand, she gave three quick, controlled knocks to the oak. Her body could have been numbing more quickly than she thought. The knuckles of her hand barely registered the feeling of striking the wooden surface.

Luckily, the door was quickly opened by the eldest resident of the home. The goat monster wasted no time getting the younger monster into her abode. Still shivering a bit, Muffet takes the moment to warm herself up by rubbing her hands together. While friction starts to warm up her frigid appendages, her eyes scan the foyer. Though her vision is still a tad bit blurry, she could plainly see that the entrance to the house is rather empty. True, there is a potted plant in the back left corner of the room, and a desk on the other side. However, that's pretty much it. The only other thing is a long mirror that's placed in between the other two objects.

She wouldn't be able to contemplate the decoration choices for long as Toriel quickly leads her down the left passage. The soothing sound of a fire crackling registers to the young girl's hearing just as she steps into what must be the living room. Instantly, her eyes lock onto the fireplace. With the need to get warm overriding proper manners, she goes straight for it. A merely five steps towards the warming flames and she feels a strange tingle growing from her hands. Almost as if being asleep, her limbs start to regain their sense of feeling, and when she reaches her target the sensation gets much more intense. In fact, it's almost painful.

Yet, she could hardly bring herself to care. She'd rather feel some pain than feel completely numb. Huh, something about that thought makes a small sense of dread nag the back of her mind. She almost starts to contemplate why, but a weight on her right shoulder startles her out of thinking about it. Peering at her shoulder, she sees a boney hand resting there. There are only two people that she knows that could be a walking skeleton. However, despite the fact both would at least take a moment to check if she's alright, she was certain that Papyrus was still outside keeping her family comfortable. Plus, Sans' hands are smaller than his brother's.

"How you doing kiddo?" Yep, that deep voice could only belong to the comical skeleton. Still, she looks over her shoulder to give him a small smile. He seems to let out a sigh of relief before giving a small grin back. Although the show of concern is nice, something seems a bit off with his expression. If she's reading him correctly, which is becoming harder to do as time goes on, there is a tad bit of trepidation in his eyes. A frown almost curls onto her lips as she notices the more subtle details of her friend. His stance looks as relaxed as always, but his teeth are clenched in the slightest bit. His hands are completely still, yet he's shifting his weight from left to right.

The eldest skeleton certainly puts on a masterful front when he wants to. However, at this distance it's much easier to pick up on the more telling of subconscious tendencies. He's anxious about something. Her mind kicks into gear as she quickly ponders what that could be. As far as she knows, the only incident worthy of truly worrying about is her bakery break-in. So, could he be worried about her safety? It's a possibility, but isn't she safe now? She's within the walls of the former queen of the monsters, the most powerful monster known is right next to her, and the beings with the most determination lives here.

The spider baker's mind quickly reminds her that she hasn't gotten the okay to stay here. There is the chance that Toriel can't accommodate her family either. Okay, there might be some reason to be anxious afterall. However, it's a known fact that she can defend herself rather well. Whether it be in a verbal spar, or a physical confrontation she has a multitude of ways to manipulate the situation to her advantage. Doesn't he know that her main fighting ability is to force people to move according to the webs she's woven? Withdrawing her hands from the fire, she stands up. Well, she'll just have to reassure him that she is, and will be, fine.

"Muffet, I've brought you some tea to help you relax." Her attention switches to her host as the former queen walks over "I also brought you some pie to enjoy," True enough, she's holding a small plate with a generous slice of pie in one hand "I was told that you haven't eaten since this morning." Really? A confused frown brings the young monster's lips down. Thinking back to this morning, she realizes that last thing she had was a home made spider doughnut and a toasted bagel. Her stomach rumbles loudly at the possibility of getting something to eat. Heat rises to her cheeks as she wraps her lower and center arms around her stomach in embarrassment.

"T-thank you Ms. Toriel." Ignoring the amused looks from Sans and her host, she gingerly takes the offered tea with her top set of hands. Once that's securely in her grip, she takes the plate with pie in her center hands. Small wisps of steam rise from the teacup while the cup warms her the palms of her hands. Bringing the edge of the cup to her lips, she takes a small sip of the heated drink. The taste isn't that noticeable with a small tinge of lemon gracing her tastebuds. However, she could feel the warmth of the drink immediately. Not hot enough to be searing her tongue, yet it isn't disappointingly lukewarm.

Overall, it's a wonderfully calming choice to have at the moment. This was probably chosen by Toriel to settle the spider girl's nerves should they still be shaken. At least, the idea fits the overall welcoming feel that has been established so far. The pleasantness of the drink quickly turns into a heavenly sensation as it travels down her gullet. Somehow, the warmth of the liquid feels like it's traveling through her veins. Almost like it was transporting all of it's heat to every part of her slightly chilled body. A groan of relief nearly escapes her lips. Luckily, she's still conscious enough of her surroundings that she could stop it.

She doesn't need the extra tension of embarrassing herself right now. With a small smile on Muffet's lips, she let's her host lead her to a table in the corner of the room. With a vase of assorted flowers on it, the good sized table looks to be able to seat at least a dozen people. The fact that there is only three chairs scooted neatly in only makes it seem even larger. Quickly deciding to pay the size no mind, she pulls the center seat out while resting her plate and cup on top of the polished wood. Once seated, her eyes glance to the side only to be startled by Sans right next to her on his own chair.

Either he is far more silent than she thought, or he's more abusive over his teleporting ability than she was lead to believe. Regardless of that, his gaze remains on her while he fidgets slightly. The sight is a little bit jarring as her mind tries to find a time where she saw him even slightly nervous. As expected, she can't recall a single time. He's been terrifying, laid-back, serious, and comedic within the span of two minutes, but never nervous. What is making him so paranoid? It shouldn't be her safety, it shouldn't be her bakery, so it couldn't involve her. Her thoughts pause for a moment as she considers something else.

What if it isn't exactly her, but rather something that could be connected to her? So, is there something that could happen because of her current situation? Turning her own gaze to the potted plant in front of her, she lets her thoughts wander for a moment. Cradling the cup of tea in her center set of hands, several possibilities comes to mind. One of the more ridiculous thoughts that comes to mind is sparking a new war. The idea nearly makes her laugh at the mere concept. A war starting from a _bakery_ being broken into? There are too many reasons for why there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of that happening.

She's a rather unknown monster that was unpopular in the underground, she has so few friends that her family makes up the vast majority of who she talks openly to. Not to mention the fact that she's hardly the first person who has had their home broken into. However, a more reasonable path is related to one of the few people she is friends with. This could possibly have a negative effect on Frisk which, in turn, would affect Chara. As far as the spider girl could tell, those two are the only two who Sans are fully concerned over. She could only speculate, but it's likely that the two get a different reasons for the skeleton to worry over them.

"Muffet, Sans has informed me of some needs that your family has," Her fragile train of thought is ruthlessly derailed as she looks over at Toriel "He was gracious enough to inform me of those needs." Goddamn it Sans! Any hope of bringing up the requirements for her family living here subtly has been effectively tossed out the window. Pushing her contemplation aside, the young monster's mind works as fast as it can to find a way to pick up the pieces. The last thing she wants to do is offend Toriel. Not only does the older monster hold the best chance of getting through the next few months with few issues, she's also the mother of her best friend!

"Forgive me for having stipulations for where we stay," It's hard not to mentally cringe at her first choice of words, how more condescending could she sound? "But spiders aren't the most durable of creatures, they need to be in the correct conditions to survive." Acting like that wasn't a commonly known piece of information certainly is one way to sound more condescending. Oh, this is going from bad to worse. The temptation to nip at her bottom lip with her fangs is steadily growing as her mind shows her and her family out in the cold. She needs to fix this. Would it be best to bring up the idea of a rent? Though, it's unlikely her host hasn't thought of that already.

"That's understandable." Her heart nearly stops as the former queen gives her an understanding look "Family is very important." A small sigh of relief escapes her lips. Toriel understood the real meaning behind the conditions she has. Only a moment after that passed through her mind, she chuckles lightly. Of course she understands, the older monster was known to value family above everything else. That should have been obvious the moment that the arachnid baker saw her with Frisk for the first time. Even when she was preoccupied with Red's story, motherly love and worry shinned in Toriel's eyes.

"I don't have exact measurements, but I can assure you that my home is big enough to accommodate your family." Wait, is she going to answer the questions now? "I've always prefered to keep the heat around seventy five degrees," Sitting up a bit straighter, Muffet listens intently "We do have an extra room, but we don't have an extra bed," The goat monster's eyes shift over to the side slightly before looking back into the young monster's eyes "However, I've heard that you don't need a bed." While that is true enough, she'd still need a good amount of time to weave an entirely new bed to slumber on. She might need to share a bed for one night.

"As for your pet," Toriel's lips twitch downward slightly as she looks down at her own cup of tea "I was informed that it was hurt." The reminder makes the spider girl suppress a wince "So, yes it may stay with you." The goat monster pauses for a moment as her eyes look around a bit before focusing back on her guest's "I would also like to check it's injures." Now, that's a bit of an unusual request. It's also a worrying one. In its injured state, the hybrid spider isn't capable of proper judgement. The pain it's feeling from merely being shifted to the side could spark an instinctual lash out at anything that it can't fully trust.

Faintly recognizing that she's started to gnaw on her lower lip, she carefully considers the request. There has to be a reason behind asking to examine her wounded pet. Maybe the former queen knows some form of healing magic. It's unlikely considering that the art of healing is an almost lost form of magic. Most of those who knew how to utilize their soul's power to mend wounds were supposively lost in the war between humanity and monsterkind. If her memory is correct, the history books mentioned that humans specifically went after the healers to prevent anyone from getting back up. Through that alone, an entire art of magic was practically lost for good.

"I... would prefer that it could have a few days to adjust before anyone else approaches it," On the extremely low chance that her former ruler does know anything about healing, she won't commit to one side or the other. Though, since she is from the age where healers were much more common, there is a decent chance of her understanding the barest concept of it. However, the young monster refuses to get her hopes up. Even if the queen could possibly heal her pet, it's too unlikely for it to be true. The sad fact is that the cupcake arachnid may never walk correctly again. At least Toriel understands, if her nod of acceptance is anything to go by.

"That may be wise." It seems neither of them will firmly choose one side "Now, the last question I was relayed," Once more, the older monster looks just a little bit beyond the younger monster "Was about rent." So far everything has been almost perfect for her family's needs, but this could make or break it. With no source of income, Muffet has a finite amount of money to offer. With that finite amount already destined to be split up between repairs and anything she'll specifically need, there might not be a lot to offer afterwards. She could only hope that she could find some other ways to help pay her stay.

"I'll be completely honest with you Muffet," The fingers wrapped around her tea cup turns white as her grip tightens "I refuse to force you to pay me." Wait, what? She could only blinks as she stares at Toriel. Surely she didn't just say that she wouldn't set a rent. That would be unheard of! Especially given the sheer size of the spider family, and the fact that she'll have another mouth to feed. The arachnid girl laughs a bit weakly as she looks down at the table. She must have projected her wants onto what the older monster really said. It's a nice thought, but now she needs to face reality.

"I-I'm sorry, but could you repeat that?" Some heat rises to her cheeks as she listens more intently this time. This is hard enough to do without her own mind embarrassing her in front of her generous host. If this keeps up, then she might lose her chance to stay here due to her strange actions. Now, she just needs to control her imagination, pay close attention, then try to calculate if she can afford the-

"I said, you won't have a rent while you're here," Everything grinds to a halt as she hears that a second time. Surely she isn't actually hearing that, right? No, no one would take on this much trouble for free. There is always something that is given in return. Whether out of gratefulness or just because it was required, there is always a payment. It would be insane for there not to be. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, the dull thud of her heart pounding against her chest echos in her ears. She must pull herself together before this opportunity is lost. Now, ask once more but pay attention this time!

"Muffet," O-Oh, will she not even get the chance to ask again? "You've been through alot in the past month," Has her assault and bakery break-in really happened in the span of a month? "You just had one problem end only for a bigger one to plague you," There's no way to argue that at this point "I want to give you some kindness in your time of need. So, yes you may stay here for free." Everything is silent for a few moments. The only thing the monster girl can hear is her own shuddering breath and the pulsing of her heartbeat in her ears.

Slowly, she opens her eyes to gaze at the cup of tea in her center hands. Steam is no longer rising from the liquid within it, but the cup itself feels pleasantly warm in her hands. She expected her mind to be swirling with thoughts about what was just spoken. Possible scenarios of how this could play out, whispers of doubt in the back of her brain, a roar of her instincts and mind telling her to accept it. None of those things were there. Instead, there is only one question echoing from the depths of her psyche. Is this really happening?

After dealing with some punks graffiting her home, establishing herself to the public as a hard working baker, putting up with ill-informed humans considering her as a waste of life on a daily basis. Could this be happening? Getting assaulted on the way home from a store, finding out that her closest friend is harboring another soul within them, confronting said soul with its murderous tendencies, forcing herself to work through her injury to keep her bakery from closing, putting a group of manipulating teens in their place, being forced to watch someone else work her business, and questioning everything she has ever known. This might be happening.

Helping a young child see another path other than the path of hatred it's family has adopted, getting her center eye back before discovering her home broken in and her pet hurt badly. Please be happening. Oh for the love of god, please be happening. Despite her maturity, business skills, and natural talents in the kitchen, Muffet is still just a young child. She can't take as much as an actual adult. Her limits have been reached more than once, and as much as she's tried to ignore it, her mind feels loaded down by the troubles of life. Right now, her soul yearns for something akin to good-will. Anything to let her rest for once, even it its just for a short time.

"T-Thank you," Everything starts to blur as a prickling sensation comes from the corners of her five eyes "Thank y-you so much for this." The sound of a chair scraping against the floor accompanies the blurring sight of Toriel standing up. Without a word, the older monster goes over to the vulnerable girl. Cozy, soft arms encase her as she more tears compromise her vision. Instinctively, she leans into the embrace while closing her eyes. With some shuddering breaths, she lets the tears fall. She allows herself to vent some pent up sorrow, but she doesn't cry. She has no reason to cry after that wonderful news.

Later she'll have to start on her new web, get her family in safely, and make sure her pet is comfortable. However, for now she lets herself savor the warm embrace. Plus, she still has some pie to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I'm leaving it there. So... I updated.
> 
> Yay, I guess. *Sighs* I know, it's been much longer than usual. It may sound like an excuse, but I do have a reason. You see, I'm currently in school. Hold on, I know some of you are thinking 'Oh big deal, a lot of people are.' That is true, and I'm not saying that I have a unique situation.
> 
> It's just that... I'm taking online classes. Every time a chapter was being written, well nearly every time, I was suppose to be doing my work. Now that it's the end of the school year, I need to buckle down. So, chapters are going to be written in strange bursts. In turn, the updating schedule is going to be weird.
> 
> At least I warned everyone earlier that my updating schedule varies early on.
> 
> Well, now that's been explained: Thanks for suffering through this wait guys. Even though I think the chapter got worse as it went on. Regardless, as always, please comment, favorite, and follow should you wish to. I honestly doubt it at this point, but who knows?
> 
> I'll see you guys next time. Bye!
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


	32. Cooking Zen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I'm back with the next chapter! I don't really have anything new to say. Well, that's not entirely true, but that doesn't need to be put here. It's my own fault anyways.
> 
> So, just ignore that and let's get started.
> 
> *Extra: Reason on why I didn't update is at the end. If you are thinking about giving me, jokingly or not, trouble about how long I was gone then read the bottom message.*
> 
> Disclaimer: Still don't own Undertale. You'd think after thirty two chapters people would get that.

Heaven, her taste buds are in complete heaven. In all of her years of baking in the kitchen, the young spider baker has never had something as amazing as this. The hum of pleasure radiating from her throat is impossible to suppress. Not that she'd want to. Something this truly delicious deserves to be praised in any way possible. It's funny that the thought of combining cinnamon and butterscotch together never once crossed her mind. True, it does sound like a bizarre combination to begin with. Yet, the proof that it could come out splendidly is dazzling her senses right now.

The only slight issue that she could possibly have with this amazing confection is how chewy the butterscotch is. Though, that may be due to how the pie cooled down a fair bit while she was relieving herself of some pent up stresses. So, their might not be any fault in a freshly baked cinnascotch pie. Hopefully, she'll be able to find that out at a later time. However, at the moment her stomach and tastebuds are demanding that they be satisfied. Gently cutting into the pie with the side of her fork, she's all to happy to oblige. As she bites down on the sensational piece of baked perfection, a rush of cold air interrupts her nirvana.

Shivering as the hot air vacates the room, Muffet wraps her center and lower arms around herself. Looking over her shoulder, she can make out the sight of the front door wide open with lines of spiders coming in. While she is reluctant to do so, her fork is placed onto the plate. Responsibilities come before pleasure. Even a delicious pleasure such as this masterfully crafted delicacy. Glancing down, she makes sure her jacket is covering her as much as it can then starts walking to the entrance. Not that the jacket helped much when the increasing chill from the outside seeps through the cloth and warming fuzz.

Holding herself in an attempt to preserve some body heat, she scans over her the neat rows of her family coming into the house. Ignoring the cold as best as she can, her mind goes over the rules that all of her family will have to know. Places that they can and can't go, what room they will mainly stay in, and what to do when other guests come to visit the household. There will be no casualties here if she can help it. Especially to any form of misunderstandings by others in the household. People tend to have snap reactions to being startled. For a spider, that reaction is normally smashing the smaller creature with anything available. It's always sad when it happens.

"Muffet! I, the Great Papyrus, have made sure that your family can arrive in the house unharmed by the cold ground!" Well, everyone can trust Papyrus to always go above and beyond when helping others. It takes a few moments, but an obvious question comes to the arachnid monster's mind. How on earth could he possibly keeping her entire family off the ground? With curiosity momentarily overtaking common sense, she leans forward to look out the front door. Scrunching up her eyes a bit as a small burst of wind chills her further, her eyes open up fully once more before widening in shock.

Creating a straight line from the tall skeleton's passenger seat to the entrance of the house is one long line of magically floating bones. Lined up just right so the end segments connect to each other perfectly, the skeletal pieces are interlocked perfectly to create an airtight bridge. Not even one of her smallest relatives could possibly slip in between the bones. However, the kind monster even created a failsafe to keep anyone from falling off in the form of safety rails. These solid line of safety are large enough that they seem to double as a wind guard. The entire sight is an impressive testament to the level of control Papyrus has over his own magic.

"Dearie, you are simply amazing!" Looking over at the older monster's beaming visual, she can't help but smile. He's always gone above and beyond for anyone that needs his help, but this seems to go into the realm of absurd amounts of effort. Yet, while she is honestly amazed by his efforts, an observation comes to the forefront of her mind. The tall skeleton is manipulating at least seventy magical bones with precision, talking to her, and even seems a bit distracted. What level of skill does this monster really have? It doesn't even look like he's burdened in the slightest by this display of kindness.

"But of course I am Muffet!" Her thoughts are interrupted by the sight of Papyrus striking a heroic pose "I, the Great Papyrus, am always amazing!" A stray gust of wind flows into the house, making his small cape flap dramatically. Is nature even on this guy's side? Shaking her head in amusement, the arachnid girl peers outside once more to check on her family's progress. They seem to be perfectly fine. No one is shivering from the cold, no one is slowing down from exertion, and no one has fallen over dead. All in all, those were rather good signs. Though, she can't relax yet. Gazing beyond the marching spiders, the pitiful sight of her pet staring back greets her.

The sight hurts her soul so much. The cupcake spider had always enjoyed following her around the bakery when she was working. Time to time, it even helped get the baked goods out to her customers. If not doing that, then it acted like an excellent guard against anyone foolish enough to try and do anything rash. She knows that her precious pet has an abundance of energy, but now it'll have to just lay down. It'll be forced to watch the world go by while it stares longingly at the activity. Faintly, a sigh escapes her lips while she turns away from the sight. It's hurting her a bit too much.

"Hey, Muffet. Do you want to help?" Gazing up, the spider monster focuses on Sans peaking out of the kitchen. Tilting her head slightly, she is unsure of what kind of help he is asking for. Given how some pie was made, it was probably some help with dishes. Still, that would be better to do than standing around, and some friendly conversation would be nice. Also, she is staying here for free. Doing some chores that she did daily in her bakery wouldn't hurt in the slightest. The small smile that grew on her lips must have done something for the small skeleton as his eyes brighten a bit. Walking towards the kitchen, she can't help but think that it's a much better look on him.

What awaited her was something a bit unexpected, but not unwanted in the slightest. Despite just making some pie, her generous host wanted to spend some time baking with her. With such the task being simply a natural process to her, she could allow her attention to be split between talking and working. However, it also allowed her to make some observations of her host. Kind and generous was a given, but also being an avid pun master? That was a bit unexpected. Yet, it also showed the great chemistry between the short skeleton and the former queen. The ease that the two shared while bouncing back a storm of terrible puns and jokes was astounding.

"Y'know, I could use some more of your pie Toriel," Oh boy, even the young baker could see where this one is going "People keep telling me I'm all skin and bones." The urge to roll her eyes at the horrid pun is simply impossible to resist. That didn't stop her amused smile from growing though. Nor did it stop the melodious sound of the goat monster laughing. Shaking her head slightly, Muffet merely prepared to roll out some dough for her doughnuts. Might as well make some of her signature spider doughnuts while she's at it.

"SANS!" Well, that was undoubtedly Papyrus, but why is he screaming at his brother? "Stop telling these terrible puns at once!" Oh? Is the younger skeleton against Sans' style of comedy? Her lips twitch further upward in amusement. How curious, with how much time the two must spend around each other, he should be used to it. Yet, he doesn't sound like he can tolerate the shorter skeleton's humor. Peeking over her shoulder, she sees Papyrus childishly stomping his foot in front of a collected Sans. They must get in confrontations often. When elder of the two merely shrugs his shoulders, she has to correct herself. Papyrus must confront Sans often.

"Wow Pap, you really need to get some thicker skin," Sensing that this might be an amusing scene, the young monster turns to watch "I mean, I'm not being that much of a bonehead," Slowly, the taller skeleton begins to narrow his eye sockets down at his brother "Besides, you know how much of a thick skull I have when it comes to puns, " Based on how he is tensing up, he must be trying not to snap "Plus, even you have to admit that these are pretty humerous." Oh my, she had no idea that he could become flushed with anger. Yet, his skull steadily turned red as he clenched his hands.

Barely managing to cover her ears with her upper hands, a loud cry of the shorter skeleton's name echos in the small kitchen. It might be her imagination, but there seems to be a ringing in her ears despite covering them. It's a well known fact that Papyrus can't seem to control the volume of his voice, that much is evident by the fact she can still hear his rant through her hands. Yet, the rumors don't quite do the taller monster justice. That skeleton has quite the pair of lungs on him! For a moment, she's content with watching the rant while protecting her eardrums.

Wait, did literally just think that Papyrus has a pair of lungs on him? A small smile twitches up as the arachnid child suppresses some giggles. It appears that the joking nature in the kitchen has affected her. Musing slightly, she wonders if this means that puns are contagious. Now that would be an interesting idea. Tuning out the outside world completely, she ponders on what this infliction would be called if it does exist. Considering that it would most likely be closer to a mental condition, it wouldn't be treated like a disease. Racking her brain for a good name, she is hit with a sudden idea. Knowing who the starter of this state would likely be the shorter skeleton, she'd name it Sans Syndrome.

Ah, yes. Sans Syndrome, the mental tendency to start making some sans-ational puns to everyone you meet. Common symptoms would be giving to-toriels to those who don't like puns, engaging in f-risky and pun-ishing joke challenges with a collected attitude, and being quite the chara-cter. At that point, she couldn't suppress her giggles as she continued to think about this bizarre idea. It felt almost therapeutic to just laugh a little. True, a lot of her worries have vanished when Toriel allowed her to take up residence. However, there are plenty more things to get her stressed, so this little distraction is very much welcomed.

That is, until she realizes that the three adults are looking at her. Their stares slowly bring a rising heat to her cheeks. Bringing her upper arms down, she smiles sheepishly while taking in two amused and one confused, yet delighted, expressions. Casting her gaze to the ground in embarrassment, a single thought echos through her mind. How long were they focused on her? God, it's bad enough that she apparently interrupted them with her sudden laughter, but having their collected gaze on her? That's just making it hard to not be flustered.

"It seems we have amused young Muffet!" Subtly glancing up, Papyrus' proud expression brings another smile to her lips "So I, the Great Papyrus, elect to let your misuse of puns go this time." A look over at the shorter skeleton reveals a mischievous glint in his eyes. Winking playfully at her, he walks over to his younger sibling while his grin widens. While curious on what her friend is planning, she's already certain that it will rile up the noble monster. The concept of stopping Sans comes to the forefront of her mind, but she quickly disregards it. Some more laughter is not something she's against.

"That's very kind of you Pap." Somehow unaware of his brother's plot, the younger living bone structure nods proudly "I always knew that you'd be," Wait, he's seriously going for that line? "The bigger man." Almost instantly, a conflict between the desires to laugh, roll her eyes, and just groan at the height joke clashes within Muffet. The fight between the desires was so evenly matched that she felt the impulse to do all three at once. Yet, they all cancel each other out. At the very least, she's certain she has either a blank or slightly amused expression. Expectedly, she switches her gaze to Papyrus while bringing up her upper hands once more.

"Thank you brother!" For a few moments, she's certain that he'll get the punchline "I know it's hard to live in the shadow of such a great person," However, it becomes exceedingly clear that he wouldn't "Yet, you do it so effortlessly!" Instead, he's innocently taken it to fuel his ego "That alone shows that you are a great person as well." Slightly dumbfounded, she watches the younger skeleton sincerely compliment his sibling. Albeit in his own way, but it's a kind thing nonetheless. With a shake of her head, she turns back to preparing her spider doughnuts. It's probably best not to try and understand those two anyways. She'd love to remain headache free.

Tuning out the outside noise, the arachnid baker begins to go through the motions of making her baked treat. Dash a bit of flour onto the counter, take some of said dough and put it onto counter, roll it out to the right thickness. She's practiced doing such an act enough that it can become a bit of a meditation activity. It certainly doesn't take a lot of mental processing, so she just lets her thoughts vanish into the depths of her mind. Get circular cutter, make sure it's clean, slice into the dough in even proportions. Getting into a rhythm, her center right hand maneuvers the dough into the pot of boiling oil carefully.

Too bad she doesn't have her equipment back at the bakery for this. The old-school method takes a bit more time to produce, but that shouldn't matter as long as she pays attention. After three more pieces are put into the pot, she watches the dough with metal tongs in her upper left hand. Every once and awhile she uses the tongs to check the dough's consistency as well as to flip them for an even golden brown. Once ready, she carefully takes them out before placing them on a prepared paper towel. Setting the tongs down, she moves back to the dough to re-roll it once more. Repeating the process once more, she begins to hum a little tune.

After putting more dough into the oil, she checks the last batch. Now drained of the oil they were coated in, the batch is ready to be coated. With a content smile, she moves to the bowl full of her special glaze that was prepared while Toriel left to check on the sleeping situation in the house. To make sure her recipe was safe, she had worked in an isolated corner while bringing multiple ingredients that she didn't need to in order to confuse anyone trying to figure the treat out. Sure, call her a bit paranoid, but this is her signature baked product. To say she's cautious about who sees it is a bit of an understatement.

Regardless, using the tips of her fingernails the young monster gently grasps the one side of the first doughnut. With her center left hand steady, the other side of the fried food is dipped into the glaze before being taken out. Bringing up to her gaze, the treat is inspected for an even coating before being placed aside on a large plate. From there, she continued her routine with her creations with utter efficiency. A smile rises on her lips as she starts to feel back in her element. There was no doubt in her being that she was most comfortable in the kitchen, whether her own or someone else's.

Soon enough, she's run out of enough dough to make full doughnuts. Examining the section of dough left with her center arms crossed, her bottom right hand drums it's fingernails against the counter as she thinks. It would be a waste to just throw out the dough. True, she could just freeze the remaining section, but that would take up space in her host's freezer. No, she won't take a chance of creating an inconvenience for the woman who graciously took her in. So, what else can she do with it? It's not like it's cookie dough, eating it raw would be disgusting and terrible for a person's health.

"Have you considered making doughnut balls?" Nearly jumping out of her skin, Muffet manages to suppress the urge to whip around. Dear lord, she can feel her heart pounding. Seriously, that came out of nowhere! Had she been too lost in her thoughts to notice someone sneaking up on her? Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind, she takes a calming breath before looking over her shoulder. Well, that's a mixture of pleasant and worrying. Black and red eyes stare back at her as Chara's image is projected over Frisk's body. Gee, why don't you make it even more obvious that there is two souls in one body?

Though, out of the corner of her eyes, she can't see any glimpse of Sans, Papyrus or Toriel. They must have left when she was working on her project. She can get lost in what she's doing when she starts to make something, but to lose track of three other people? Wow, her ease and comfort with cooking goes further than she thought. Getting her mind back on track, she notes how it could still be risky for Chara and Frisk to be in the kitchen like this. Maybe they have experience at this. Deciding not speaking her mind, she looks back at the dough.

"Doughnut balls?" The concept is familiar to her. Simple balls of dough fried up and then served. Yet, these small little things can be tricky to nail down. They have a habit of rolling in the oil instead of settling down. The slightest of touches can make the substance just go out of control in the pot, and the momentum of the rolls while make the less cooked side morph into something odd. Despite that, the idea does have some merit. A sigh pierces through her contemplation. At the sound of footsteps, she glances to the side to see the fragmented soul coming to her side. With a roll of their eyes, it smirks in amusement.

"Since you clearly can't do it yourself, I'll have to help you." Standing straight up, the spider baker stares down the demented being with a harsh glare. That cocky little child! Did it really think that she would be unable to make this? The corner of her lips begin to twitch upward as she cracks her upper, middle, and bottom knuckles of her right side. To her ears, this insult can only be a challenge. Perhaps her foe wishes to knock her off her throne. However, it won't be that easy. She has her pride as a baking professional to uphold. Letting her smirk fully bloom, she turns away from it with a dismissive wave of her upper left hand.

"Do what you want," Gathering up the dough with her center hands, she evenly splits it "But don't think that I need the help of someone who hasn't really done anything culinary related in over a century." A none too gentle nudge forces her to the side as Chara steps up to the counter with it's own smirk. Oh, the poor, poor thing thinks that it actually has a chance against her. Well, time to put this upstart in it's place.

"Alright dearie," Giving her opponent a innocent smile with just the barest glimpse of her fang, Muffet gathers some dough with her lower right hand "I'll show you how this is done." Scattering some dough over the counter, her attention is lost in what she needs to do. Though a question does still go through her mind before being lost.

Were those two here before she got here, or did they just get home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Hey. I'm kind of back after weeks of not writing. Even with how my final days in school are here, this should have been finished sooner. I'll get to that after everything else.
> 
> So, the first thousand words were written immediately after the last chapter was made, and the other two thousand plus was made after weeks of my writing skills getting rusty. I'm sorry that the quality was dropped massively for those two thousand words.
> 
> I would like to thank djtrickym and Jedrick for making it known that some people were waiting for this chapter. It helped motivate me a bit.
> 
> I don't expect many people to comment on this, but I would love to get some feedback. It would be useful to know what bad habits I went back to. I would like to fix that again if the time comes for me to write again. I would also like any comments I get to be about the chapter... And only the chapter. 
> 
> Also, if you somehow feel like it, please favorite and follow. It helps me know that I'm still doing something akin to right.
> 
> Finally, I want you guys to know why I didn't write for this long. On the twenty first of last month, my brother hung himself in prison. He was in there for the same reason I always suspected he would. My brother could be a very kind and protective person, but he was also a very violent man with an unstable mind. He needed help, but didn't get it in time.
> 
> As you could probably see, I lost the motivation to do quite a bit of things after that. I quickly took up the mantle of normalcy that the others in my family craved. I cracked jokes, messed around with them, and did what I could to shake them out of their sorrow- even if for just a few moments. Writing was about the furthest thing from my mind at the time.
> 
> Well, nothing more to say really. Maybe... I'm back? For the moment at least.
> 
> I need to go, so I'll see you later. Bye.
> 
> ~DeathOnWings1203~


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